Sam Jonah goes to International Tribunal over Abuja land dispute

A major property dispute between Ghanaian businessman Sir Sam Jonah and Nigerian authorities has moved beyond Nigeria’s domestic processes and is now before an international arbitration tribunal in Paris.

The case, filed under the International Chamber of Commerce, centres on River Park Estate, a large mixed-use development near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The estate sits on a 501-hectare parcel of land known as Plot 4 in Cadastral Zone E30, Lugbe West.

The land was allocated in 2007 to JonahCapital Nigeria Limited, a company linked to Sir Sam Jonah’s investment group, under Nigeria’s Mass Housing Scheme.

Over the years, JonahCapital developed the site into a residential and commercial enclave with homes, offices, healthcare facilities, commercial spaces and places of worship.

The company says its development lease was valid until June 2030.

That position is now being challenged after the Federal Capital Development Authority terminated the lease in November 2025.

JonahCapital insists the termination was unlawful and contrary to the development agreement.

Although the exact amount being claimed in the arbitration has not been made public, estimates based on property values in Abuja have placed the disputed asset at about US$500 million.

The company’s case is not limited to the termination of the lease.

JonahCapital is also accusing Nigerian authorities of failing to provide key infrastructure promised under the arrangement.

It says roads, electricity and water were not provided by the authorities, forcing the developer to fund and construct those facilities at substantial cost.

The company has also raised concerns over building approval fees and claims that parts of the property have been fenced off while the arbitration is still pending.

Another issue in the dispute is the emergence of third-party claims to sections of the property, which JonahCapital says has created years of legal and administrative difficulty around the development.

Those allegations are yet to be determined by the arbitration tribunal.

Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has confirmed that the matter is now before arbitration.

He said the government would allow the process to run its course.

“The other party has gone to arbitration, and we say, ‘Okay, until you finish from arbitration,’” he said.

Mr Wike has, however, maintained that the Nigerian government acted lawfully.

According to him, the recovery of the property followed the expiry of the lease.

He has also disputed parts of the development history, arguing that some of the projects were undertaken by Paulo Homes Limited, a separate company engaged by JonahCapital to assist with certain approvals.

While the commercial dispute proceeds before the ICC, a separate criminal case is also pending before the Federal Capital Territory High Court.

That case involves Sir Sam Jonah and other individuals and includes allegations relating to forgery of company documents and unlawful allocation of shares in companies connected to the Abuja development.

Sir Sam Jonah has denied the allegations.

The criminal charges have not yet been determined.

The dispute has also drawn diplomatic attention from Ghana.

In late 2025, Sir Sam Jonah petitioned Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, over actions by Nigerian regulatory authorities which he said threatened his investment.

Mr Ablakwa later raised concerns about the treatment of Ghanaian businesses in Nigeria during an ECOWAS Council of Ministers meeting in Abuja, where he cited the JonahCapital matter.

He had earlier visited River Park Estate and expressed support for efforts to protect Ghanaian investments abroad.

The ICC arbitration is significant because it places the dispute before an independent international forum commonly used for resolving cross-border commercial disagreements.

It also raises broader questions about investor protection, public-private housing projects and the security of Ghanaian investments in other African markets.

A date for the arbitration hearing has not yet been announced.

Sir Sam Jonah remains one of Ghana’s most prominent business figures.

He is widely known for his role in transforming Ashanti Goldfields Company into a major African mining company and later becoming President of AngloGold Ashanti after its 2004 merger with AngloGold.

His business interests have since expanded into mining, energy and real estate across the continent, with River Park Estate standing as one of his major investments outside Ghana.