By Ann Jato | March 4, 2026
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to suspend the cashless payment system at federal airports and revert to cash payments, citing widespread gridlock and passenger inconvenience.
The directive follows massive traffic congestion on airport access roads, with passengers reporting hours-long delays and missed flights. A hybrid system will be implemented temporarily, allowing both cash payments and the use of FAAN cards already purchased by some motorists.
The government will engage private sector participants to develop a more efficient payment system that eliminates cash at the gates without causing traffic congestion. Keyamo assured that the issue will be resolved urgently, saying, “We will go back to the drawing board and perfect the system.”
The cashless system, introduced less than a week ago, was aimed at eliminating corruption and optimising revenue collection at toll gates operated by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). However, its implementation led to massive traffic congestion on airport access roads, with passengers reporting hours-long delays and missed flights.
Keyamo stated that President Tinubu directed a return to the status quo while a more efficient system is developed. “The major reason for the suspension was to eliminate the present gridlock at the Lagos and Abuja airport toll gates,” he said.
A hybrid system will be implemented temporarily, allowing both cash payments and the use of FAAN cards already purchased by some motorists. The government will engage private sector participants to develop a more efficient payment system that eliminates cash at the gates without causing traffic congestion.
The suspension has been welcomed by travellers who had complained about the chaos caused by the new system. The minister did not provide a specific timeline for when the improved cashless system would be reintroduced, but emphasised that the President wants the issue resolved urgently.
The development has sparked reactions from Nigerians, with some expressing relief at the suspension while others questioning the haste in implementing the cashless system without adequate infrastructure.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria had justified the cashless policy as part of efforts to block revenue leakages and ensure transparency in toll collection, noting that the cash-based system had been prone to fraud and underremittance over the decades.
