President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the suspension of the newly introduced cashless payment system at Nigerian airports after it caused severe traffic congestion and disruptions for travellers.
The directive was announced by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, while briefing journalists at the State House in Abuja following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by the president.
According to Keyamo, the system introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was designed to eliminate corruption and boost government revenue by replacing the long-standing practice of cash payments at airport toll gates.
However, less than a week after its rollout, the initiative began causing major traffic congestion around airport access roads, particularly in Lagos and Abuja, leading to long queues that reportedly caused several passengers to miss their flights.
“The first one has to do with the present cashless system we introduced at our toll gates across the country in order to eliminate corruption and optimise revenue for the Federal Government,” Keyamo said.
He explained that President Tinubu intervened after receiving reports of the hardship experienced by travellers.
“Mr President was very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians and the fact that most Nigerians were losing their flights,” the minister said.
“So Mr President, out of empathy, directed today that we should suspend the present system because it creates a lot of gridlock and Nigerians are suffering as a result of it.”
Keyamo said the government would temporarily revert to the previous payment arrangement while officials work on a more efficient electronic solution.
Under the interim arrangement, motorists will be allowed to make cash payments, while travellers who have already purchased FAAN prepaid cards can continue using them.
“For those who have bought FAAN cards before, we can do a hybrid system whereby we can collect cash temporarily and, of course, use the cards that they have collected temporarily for now,” he said.
The minister also revealed that the Federal Government plans to partner with private sector operators to develop a more efficient electronic payment platform that will eliminate cash transactions without causing delays.
According to him, the president remains committed to a fully electronic revenue collection system at airports but insisted it must not create the kind of traffic congestion currently being experienced.
“If we have to pay commission, we have to pay commission, but we will bring in private sector participants to help us devise a much more efficient payment system,” Keyamo added.
He emphasised that the suspension is a temporary measure aimed at easing the burden on travellers while consultations with FAAN continue to ensure a smoother and more reliable payment system at Nigerian airports.
