Ghanaian mining tycoon drags Nigerian authorities to international court in Paris over 501-hectare estate

A long-running dispute over one of Abuja’s biggest real estate developments has moved beyond Nigeria’s borders, with Ghanaian businessman Sir Sam Jonah’s company taking the Nigerian government to international arbitration in Paris.

At the centre of the dispute is River Park Estate, a 501-hectare mixed-use development in Lugbe, Abuja, designed to deliver more than 11,000 housing units for about 42,000 residents, alongside shopping centres, office complexes, healthcare facilities, places of worship and other supporting infrastructure.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, confirmed that the developers have commenced arbitration proceedings against the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

“The other party has gone to arbitration, and we said okay, let them conclude the arbitration process,” Wike said.

According to Wike, the FCDA signed a Development Lease Agreement (DLA) with JonahCapital Nigeria Limited, the company behind the project. He argued that the agreement had expired, prompting the authority to repossess the land. He also maintained that the FCDA had no contractual relationship with Paulo Homes Limited, which he said was later introduced into the project.

JonahCapital, however, strongly disputes that position. The company has invoked the arbitration clause in the Development Lease Agreement and filed proceedings before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, challenging the FCDA’s decision to terminate the lease on November 5, 2025. It argues that the agreement remains valid until June 2030 and is asking the tribunal to declare the termination unlawful.

The developer said it turned to international arbitration after repeated attempts to resolve the matter through official channels and Nigerian courts failed.

It also accused the FCDA of fencing off parts of the disputed estate while the arbitration process was already underway, warning that the move could further escalate the conflict.

JonahCapital further alleged that the FCDA failed to provide key infrastructure—including roads, electricity and water supply—as required under the agreement, forcing the company to finance and construct the facilities itself.

It also claimed that individuals and organisations that were not parties to the original lease agreement began laying claim to parts of the estate, triggering years of litigation and competing ownership claims.

The River Park Estate project has been embroiled in controversy for years. In July last year, former President Olusegun Obasanjo dismissed claims by Sir Sam Jonah that his administration allocated the 501 hectares for the development, describing the allegation as “absolutely untrue, fictitious, misleading and libellous.”

The outcome of the arbitration could determine the future ownership and development of one of Abuja’s largest private housing projects.