Ghanaian Businessman Sam Jonah Takes Abuja River Park Estate Dispute To ICC In Paris

A Ghanaian businessman and mining executive, Sam Jonah, has escalated a dispute involving his company, JonahCapital Nigeria Limited, and the Nigerian government over the 501-hectare River Park Estate in Abuja to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris.

The dispute centres on the ownership, development and termination of rights relating to the massive property located at Plot 4, Cadastral Zone E30, Lugbe West, near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

JonahCapital Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Sam Jonah’s investment group, said it secured the property in 2007 under Nigeria’s Mass Housing Scheme and subsequently developed it into River Park Estate.

The estate has grown into a residential and mixed-use development comprising houses, commercial facilities, offices, healthcare facilities and places of worship.

The latest development followed the termination of the company’s development lease by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in November 2025.

JonahCapital subsequently challenged the termination, maintaining that its development lease over the property remained valid until June 2030.

The company argued that the termination was unlawful and contrary to the terms under which the property was originally granted.

It also alleged that the Nigerian authorities failed to provide infrastructure contained in the original agreement, forcing the developer to commit substantial funds to the construction of roads, electricity and water infrastructure within the estate.

Other issues raised by the company include disputed building approval charges, the alleged fencing of portions of the property while the dispute was ongoing, and ownership claims by third parties which, according to the firm, contributed to prolonged delays in the development.

Meanwhile, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has acknowledged that JonahCapital commenced arbitration over the dispute, saying the Nigerian government would participate in the proceedings.

According to reports by GBC Ghana, Wike maintained that the government’s actions were lawful and connected to efforts to recover the property.

The FCT minister has also questioned aspects of the structure of the River Park development, particularly the involvement of Paulo Homes Limited.

Wike said Paulo Homes was engaged by JonahCapital in connection with regulatory approvals and other aspects of the project.

The conflicting positions of the parties are expected to form part of the wider arbitration proceedings before the ICC in Paris.

As of press time, the ICC had not announced a hearing date, while the financial value of JonahCapital’s claim has also not been publicly disclosed.

However, a separate criminal case connected to the River Park Estate development is pending before a court in Abuja.

Sam Jonah and other individuals linked to the development are facing a 26-count criminal charge, including allegations bordering on forgery of documents and unlawful allocation of company shares connected to the project.

Jonah has denied the allegations.

The businessman had earlier petitioned Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Ablakwa, over what he described as the treatment of his investment in Nigeria.

Following the petition, Ablakwa raised concerns over the treatment of Ghanaian businesses operating in Nigeria during an ECOWAS Council of Ministers meeting in Abuja.

The Ghanaian minister also visited River Park Estate, signalling Accra’s interest in the protection of Ghanaian commercial interests in Nigeria.

The intervention has since taken the River Park dispute beyond the interests of a single investor, placing it within the broader context of Nigeria-Ghana economic relations and the protection of cross-border investments in West Africa.

Nigeria and Ghana are among West Africa’s largest economies, with businesses and investors from both countries maintaining extensive commercial interests across the region.