The Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has defended his decision to demand ground rent payments in the city, including the publication of defaulters’ names, clarifying that the intention was never to embarrass property owners but to raise essential funds for Abuja’s development.
He made this point during the commissioning of the Collector Road CN2, the Mabushi–Katampe thoroughfare, by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu. The minister also inspected the Judges’ Quarters and the N5 road in Lifecamp, pointing to the project’s early completion eight to nine months instead of the originally projected twelve as evidence of the rewards of properly funding infrastructure.
Wike took aim at affluent residents who are quick to meet tax obligations in cities like London or New York but often evade the same duties at home. He noted that many Abuja properties have appreciated by ₦200 – ₦300 million, yet owners resist paying the ground rent local governments rely on to deliver projects .
According to Wike, Abuja receives only 1% of the federal monthly revenue roughly ₦8 billion if federal receipts total ₦800 billion yet FCT wage bills alone exceed ₦13 billion. “We cannot pay salaries, let alone build roads, if we depend only on that share,” he said.
Addressing criticism, Wike insisted that naming defaulters was a transparency measure, not public shaming, stating, “It has nothing to do with embarrassment… No poor man can build these houses…rich men build them, so they must play their part” .He urged property owners to view the printed list as a prompt to settle arrears so that infrastructure works can continue.
The minister also announced plans to increase ground rent rates and revealed that more than 1,500 Certificates of Occupancy and Deeds of Assignment have been issued recently.
Wike emphasized that this is not new taxation but enforcement of existing obligations, noting a pattern where some debtors owe decades of arrears. He also voiced determination not to “succumb to blackmail” from elite groups resisting compliance.
Deputy Speaker Kalu, representing President Bola Tinubu, praised Wike’s dedication to transparency and efficiency. He commended the delivery of the road project within budget and on time, crediting it to leadership that ensures fiscal accountability and urban development.
Through his remarks, Wike reinforced the message that taxation compliance and infrastructure devel
