President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to suspend the recently introduced cashless policy following widespread traffic congestion at airports nationwide.
Aviation and Aerospace Minister Festus Keyamo announced the presidential order during a briefing on the outcome of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Tinubu.
The policy, launched on March 1, required passengers to make digital payments via ‘Go Cashless’ cards or POS systems for airport access gates, parking, lounges, and other facilities — ending over 50 years of cash collection. However, its rollout triggered severe traffic jams at major airports including Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, with long queues, stranded motorists, and missed flights reported.
Tinubu ordered Keyamo and FAAN to “go back to the drawing board” and come up with a more passenger-friendly solution that still ensures transparency in revenue collection.
“In the aviation sector, two very important issues arose today. 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.
“You recall that this practice had gone on for more than 50 years with the collection of cash… However, with the introduction of the cashless system less than a week ago, it’s created a lot of gridlock across the country.”
Keyamo added that the president’s intervention was driven by concern for travelers’ wellbeing.
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“Mr. President was very concerned about the health of Nigerians and the fact that most Nigerians were losing their flights, missing their flights. And so Mr. President, out of empathy, directed today that we should suspend the present system because it creates a lot of ripple, and Nigerians are suffering as a result.
“In fact, the president directed me that this should not take too long and I should get back to him on this issue… if possible, even engage the private sector to ensure that we establish an electronic system to the extent that it will not create the gridlock that we’re having right now.”