BREAKING: Wike Reportedly Leases Popular Abuja Riverplate Park Area For 99 Years

Wike has reportedly leased out popular Abuja Riverplate Park Area for 99 years.

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Controversial Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has reportedly approved a 99-year lease of the land housing Riverplate Park, one of Abuja’s most popular recreational areas.

According to a report by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), the lease, granted to Tripple Zees Projects and Properties Limited, a real estate firm, was finalized on July 14, 2025, through a statutory right of occupancy (No. 0001942) signed by Chijioke Nwankwoeze, Director of Land Administration. The firm reportedly paid ₦30,148,600 to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for the lease.

ALSO: Tinubu Approves Olumode Samuel Adeyemi As New Controller-General of Federal Fire Service

Riverplate Park, located in Abuja’s Central Area, has served for years as a major green space and entertainment hub, with over 50 service providers offering leisure, food, and event services. The park, established in 2008 by architect Yohanna Kwada Haruna, is now at risk of being converted into a shopping mall under the new lease.

FIJ quoted a real estate agent warning that new tenants or sub-lessees risk financial loss if they rent space within the park without knowledge of the reallocation.

“An occupant might want to sublet their vacant space… and the person might lose their money when the new management asks everyone to leave,” the source said.

The report also notes concerns that the redevelopment could lead to job losses and the displacement of small businesses, including a football academy that regularly trains at the park.

Efforts by FIJ to contact the acquiring firm were unsuccessful. One listed shareholder, Dennis Obumneme Adigwe, stated he was no longer affiliated with the company, having left about eight years ago.

At press time, neither the FCT Minister nor Tripple Zees had issued a formal response.