Nigeria:34 Embassies to be closed over rent payment failure

Thirty-four foreign embassies in Abuja face potential closure for failing to pay ground rent for over a decade, according to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had ordered enforcement against nearly 4,800 defaulting properties, but President Bola Tinubu granted a 14-day grace period, now expired.

Embassies from Ghana, Thailand, Russia, Turkey, Ireland, Germany, Venezuela, Zambia, Indonesia, and Equatorial Guinea top the defaulters’ list.

Others reportedly include missions from Egypt, Chad, Sierra Leone, India, Sudan, Niger, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, China, and South Africa.

Some embassies have denied the allegations.