I Borrowed £75,000 to Build a Future Here’: Diaspora Investors Count Losses After Demolition of Abuja Businesses
Nigeria’s investment climate remains hostile to ease of doing business, especially for returnee Diaspora investors as another hospitality business, Stopover Bar & Grill, worth over £75,000 was demolished without notice by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
Chief Executive Officer of Stopover & Grill, Charles Avwenagha, in a video which has gone viral on social media, on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, accused the FCTA of demolishing the property located at Lokogoma in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the FCT.
For Avwenagha, returning from the United Kingdom to invest in Nigeria was a dream inspired by repeated calls for Nigerians in the Diaspora to contribute to national development. Today, he says that dream lies buried beneath rubble.
He broke down in tears after officials allegedly demolished his hospitality business, claiming the exercise was carried out without prior notice, saying he borrowed £75,000 in the United Kingdom to establish the business, which had operated for just one year and three months before it was pulled down.
He further alleged that bulldozers arrived at about 1:00pm and ordered workers to vacate the premises before demolishing the structure.
“I borrowed money from the UK to invest in Nigeria. You asked us to return home and invest, but nobody gave me notice. I stood there and watched everything disappear,” he said.
According to him, the demolition rendered 84 employees jobless, while an estimated 300 people, including vendors and others whose livelihoods depended on the business, were also affected.
Another affected investor, Clem Aris, owner of Aris Club, said he also returned from the United States to establish a hospitality business in Lokogoma, only to lose the investment within months of opening, describing the demolition as a devastating setback for entrepreneurs who answered the government’s call to invest in Nigeria.
The affected business owners questioned the country’s commitment to attracting private and diaspora investments, arguing that demolishing businesses without adequate engagement could discourage other Nigerians abroad from investing at home.
As of Tuesday, August 4, 2026, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had not issued an official statement addressing the specific allegations made by the affected investors, including claims that the demolition was carried out without notice.
Kristina Reports could not independently verify the claims regarding the alleged lack of notice, the reported £75,000 investment, or the number of jobs affected.
Efforts by Kristina Reports to reach the FCTA was yet unsuccessful as at the time of this as calls to its official lines were answered or returned.
The demolition has sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many Nigerians expressing concern over its impact on job creation and investor confidence.
Others have called on the FCTA to clarify the legal basis for the exercise and whether the affected properties complied with planning and development regulations.
Kristina Reports will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as more official information becomes available.
