After ordering the suspension of FAAN’s cashless airport tollgate policy just four days after its chaotic launch, President Bola Tinubu has approved replacing it with a temporary hybrid system that accepts both cash and prepaid cards while a private sector-led solution is developed.
What Happened
Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo announced the suspension after the Federal Executive Council meeting, saying:
“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.”
This is the Press interview I granted at the Presidential Villa on the issue of the suspension of the cashless policy of FAAN and related matters after the Federal Executive Council earlier today https://t.co/GlOgIkjH3u
Since March 1, passengers and motorists at Lagos and Abuja airports endured what many described as a “hellish” experience. Some travellers abandoned their cars and boarded commercial motorcycles to avoid missing their flights.
Gridlock stretched several metres from the tollgates as access gate machines malfunctioned and most motorists arrived without the required payment cards.
SUSPENSION OF FAAN CASHLESS POLICY AT AIRPORT GATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
At the Federal Executive Council meeting earlier today, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR @officialABAT directed a temporary suspension of the cashless policy introduced by the Federal Airport Authority of…
As an interim measure, a hybrid system now allows motorists to pay with cash while also accepting FAAN prepaid cards already purchased by registered users. The Federal Government will also engage private sector partners to develop a more efficient electronic payment platform that eliminates cash without causing delays.
What Experts Said
Aviation analyst Olumide Ohunayo said:
“What led to this problem was that the focus was more on revenue generation rather than traffic flow. When traffic flows and operations are smooth, revenue naturally increases.”
