The city has filed a federal lawsuit in Manhattan against the Nigerian government, claiming that the African nation failed to pay real estate taxes, officials announced today.

The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court, claims that the Nigerian government failed to pay taxes for commercial offices and other non-tax exempt spaces in the 22-story building it owns at 828 Second Avenue in Manhattan.

The exact amount is not known because of the refusal of the Nigerian government to supply the city with documentation.

As a result, the city is seeking between $4.1 million and upward of $16 million in unpaid taxes, other charges and interest from Nigeria, city officials said.

The city provides a tax exemption to all foreign governments for their United Nations Mission and their consulates, officials said.

The building -- known as “Nigeria House” -- is used partially for tax-exempt purposes, including as offices for the Nigerian Consulate and the Nigerian Mission to the UN.

In 2003, the city brought lawsuits seeking unpaid real estate taxes on commercial facilities and staff housing against four countries: Turkey, the Philippines, India and Mongolia.

The suits against Turkey and the Philippines were settled. The lawsuits against India and Mongolia reached the US Supreme Court on the issue of the countries’ immunity from suit. The Supreme Court later held that the countries were not immune.

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