The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has moved to set the record straight and calm frayed nerves.
FAAN Managing Director Olubunmi Kuku has assured the public that the agency will go back to the drawing board to correct the glitches that plagued the cashless airport toll policy launch, while making a pointed clarification that contradicts her own minister.
The Clarification
Less than 24 hours after Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo announced that President Tinubu had ordered the cashless policy’s suspension, Kuku pushed back firmly.
“You heard the minister yesterday following the FEC meeting where the president has asked us not necessarily to suspend but to make sure that the process itself is improved before it gets rolled out. That is what we are doing so this is a win for the industry.”
What Went Wrong
Kuku acknowledged that 60,000 of the 100,000 total registered users enrolled in just the last three days before the March 1 launch, meaning the bulk of motorists simply were not ready.
She also admitted the Lagos toll gate location was not ideal, sitting on a road used not only by airport passengers but also by commuters travelling to Ikeja and other destinations.
The Path Forward
President Tinubu has given FAAN a timeline to refine the process, ensure wider user adoption, integrate e-tags alongside cards, and bring the private sector on board to deliver a seamless solution.
In the meantime, a hybrid approach is in place allowing both cash and existing FAAN cards to be used at tollgates until the improved system is ready for full rollout.
