Ground Rent and Governance: The Clash of Policy and People in Nigeria’s Capital.

In Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a fundamental tension is unfolding one that touches on property rights, government accountability, and the role of empathy in public service. The recent war of words between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Senator Ireti Kingibe has pulled public attention to a contentious issue: the clampdown on ground rent defaulters in Abuja.

Ground rent, a statutory obligation for property owners in Abuja, is a key revenue source for the FCT Administration. Minister Wike, known for his no-nonsense approach to governance, has vowed to recover over ₦30 billion in unpaid rents. In his view, defaulters are crippling the city's ability to fund crucial infrastructure, healthcare, education, and sanitation projects. He insists that repeated notices have gone unanswered and that government cannot be held hostage by noncompliance.

However, Senator Kingibe’s response strikes a very different tone one rooted in empathy and civic engagement. She argues that while obligations must be met, the government's methods are needlessly punitive. In her words, many residents are unaware of their debts, unsure of how to pay, or even unclear on what ground rent entails. To go from silence to clampdown, she suggests, reflects a top-down governance style that alienates rather than informs.

This clash is more than just a political squabble. It represents a larger question about how governments enforce compliance and whether citizens are treated as partners or as obstacles.

The Policy vs. People Dilemma

Minister Wike's logic is straightforward: without compliance, Abuja’s development stagnates. Taxes and statutory charges are not optional; they are part of the social contract that sustains cities. His frustration is not unfounded defaults in ground rent payments mean less funding for urban planning, emergency response systems, and public utilities.

Yet, governance is more than spreadsheets and deadlines. It’s also about building trust, especially in a country where citizens often feel disconnected from or even betrayed by institutions. Senator Kingibe's argument points to a deep systemic flaw: the lack of consistent civic education and public communication.

When a government chooses enforcement over engagement, it often signals a breakdown in the relationship between citizens and the state. Residents who don’t receive reminders, don't know the amount owed, or don’t have access to simple payment portals are not necessarily willful defaulters they're often victims of broken systems.

Revenue Generation Without Repression

The FCT Administration does have a fiscal duty to generate revenue but at what cost? Public policy must strike a delicate balance between accountability and compassion. To many Abuja residents, the clampdown feels like a sudden ambush, not a structured call to civic responsibility.

There are alternative models that have worked globally and locally. For instance, Lagos State has made major strides in property tax collection through digital notifications, community townhalls, and even WhatsApp-based payment systems. Education, accessibility, and phased penalties foster a sense of shared responsibility not fear.

If Abuja adopts a similarly humane model, ground rent recovery becomes more than a government project it becomes a shared civic success.

Urban Governance in the Age of Inequality

What this debate ultimately underscores is the urgent need to rethink urban governance in an age of widening inequality. Many residents of Abuja, especially in satellite towns, are already stretched thin by inflation, fuel costs, insecurity, and housing scarcity. To suddenly threaten them with eviction or asset forfeiture without due clarity or empathy risks deepening the distrust that already exists.

Senator Kingibe’s intervention may have been unpopular with the bureaucracy, but it voices the silent concerns of everyday Nigerians: “Do you see us? Do you hear us?”

Conclusion: Governing With Both Firmness and Heart

The Wike-Kingibe exchange should not be dismissed as political theatre. It is a case study in what happens when governance prioritizes revenue over relationships. A functioning city needs rules but it also needs compassion.

Minister Wike is right to demand compliance. But Senator Kingibe is right to demand compassionate enforcement. Both are necessary pillars of sustainable governance.

As Abuja charts its developmental path, it must decide: Will it rule its people, or serve them?

And as Nigerian cities grow, the question echoes louder: can we build cities of wealth and order, without losing the humanity that makes them worth living in?