Abuja Business Demolished, Investor Considers Leaving Nigeria

Charles Avwenagha, a Nigerian returnee investor, expressed his frustration after the Federal Capital Territory Administration demolished his business, Stopover Bar and Grill, in Lokogoma, Abuja, without prior notice. Avwenagha had invested a £75,000 loan from the UK to establish the bar just over a year ago.

He reported that he had heard rumors about the demolition a week prior and decided to shut down the business and begin evacuating equipment. On the day of the demolition, welders and carpenters were on-site when bulldozers arrived, leading to the complete destruction of the establishment.

Avwenagha lamented the loss of his investment and the impact on his 84 employees, questioning the encouragement for diaspora Nigerians to invest in the country. He indicated that he might renounce his Nigerian passport and return to the UK, citing the job losses not only at his business but also at nearby establishments.

The manager of Stopover Bar and Grill, Muktar Yahaya, and staff member Eze Chidimma corroborated Avwenagha's account of the sudden demolition.