Renowned Ghanaian businessman and mining executive Sir Sam Jonah has commenced international arbitration proceedings against the Nigerian government over a disputed 501-hectare property in Abuja.
The case, being heard under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, centres on the termination of a development lease held by JonahCapital Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Sir Sam Jonah’s investment group.
The disputed property, located near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, was allocated to JonahCapital in 2007 under Nigeria’s Mass Housing Scheme.
The company subsequently developed the site into River Park Estate, a major residential and commercial development featuring homes, commercial facilities, healthcare centres, offices and places of worship.
JonahCapital maintains that its development lease remains valid until June 2030.
However, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) terminated the lease in November 2025.
The company is challenging the termination, arguing that the decision was unlawful and breached the terms of the development agreement.
In the arbitration proceedings, JonahCapital alleges that Nigerian authorities failed to fulfil several obligations under the agreement.
The company claims that the FCDA did not provide critical infrastructure, including roads, electricity and water, forcing it to undertake the work at significant cost.
JonahCapital also alleges breaches relating to building approval fees and claims that sections of the disputed property have been fenced off while the arbitration is pending.
The company further maintains that it spent considerable resources defending the estate against third parties who sought to assert ownership claims over portions of the development.
The allegations are yet to be determined by the arbitration tribunal.
Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has confirmed that arbitration proceedings are underway and said the government would allow the process to take its course.
“The other party has gone to arbitration and we say okay, until you finish from arbitration,” Mr Wike said.
The minister maintains that the government acted lawfully in recovering the property after the development lease expired.
He has also argued that some developments and approval processes connected to the estate were undertaken by Paulo Homes Limited, a separate company engaged by JonahCapital.
The property dispute is unfolding alongside a separate criminal case against Sir Sam Jonah and several others before the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
The 26-count case involves allegations including forgery of company documents and the unlawful allocation of shares in companies associated with the Abuja development.
Sir Sam Jonah has denied the allegations, which have not yet been determined by the court.
The dispute has also attracted the attention of the Ghanaian government.
In late 2025, Sir Sam Jonah petitioned Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, raising concerns about actions by Nigerian regulatory authorities which he said threatened his interests in the investment.
Mr Ablakwa subsequently raised concerns about the treatment of Ghanaian investors in Nigeria during an ECOWAS Council of Ministers meeting in Abuja, citing the JonahCapital dispute as an example of challenges facing Ghanaian businesses operating in the country.
The Foreign Affairs Minister had earlier visited River Park Estate and expressed support for efforts to safeguard Ghanaian investments abroad.
The decision to pursue ICC arbitration means the commercial dispute will be determined through an international arbitration process rather than Nigeria’s domestic courts.
International arbitration is widely used in cross-border investment disputes and can provide mechanisms for enforcement of arbitral awards across jurisdictions.
The value of the claim has not been disclosed by the parties, although estimates have placed the potential value of the disputed land at about US$500 million based on prevailing property values in Abuja.
No date has yet been announced for the arbitration hearing, while the related criminal proceedings in Nigeria remain pending.
Sir Sam Jonah is one of Ghana’s most prominent business leaders, having played a key role in transforming Ashanti Goldfields Company into one of Africa’s leading mining enterprises.
He later became President of AngloGold Ashanti following the merger of Ashanti Goldfields with AngloGold in 2004.
He has subsequently built investments across mining, energy and real estate in several African countries, with the Abuja development ranking among his significant property investments outside Ghana.
