The Jagaban suspends FAAN airport cashless policy over gridlock, missed flights 

Due to traffic congestion and missing flights, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued an order suspending the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) airport cashless payment policy.

Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, made the revelation on Wednesday, pointing out that it was one of the decisions made during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting that the President chaired.

The President’s order was issued barely four days after FAAN started the statewide cashless policy on March 1.

The ban comes after major airports were reported to be extremely congested, making it difficult for travelers to get at terminals on time.

Keyamo clarified that the policy, which was implemented to eradicate corruption and maximize revenue collection for the Federal Government, had instead resulted in extremely heavy traffic at Lagos and Abuja airport entry ports. He pointed out that some passengers missed their planned flights due to lengthy lines at toll gates and payment locations, necessitating the President’s immediate involvement.

• “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,” the minister said.
• “Mr President was very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians and the fact that most Nigerians were losing their flights, missing their flights. To the extent that it will not create the gridlock that we are having right now, the system is hereby suspended,” he added.

He stressed that the suspension was aimed at protecting passengers’ welfare while the government works on addressing the operational challenges.

How it all started

On Sunday, March 1, FAAN implemented its nationwide cashless policy at all airports under its management, mandating that all payments for executive lounges, parking lots, and entrance gates be made online. The action was presented as a component of initiatives to enhance revenue transparency and modernize airport operations.

There were reports of traffic jams at access gates at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, which caused some travelers to be stranded for extended periods of time and many to miss their flights.
Discussions concerning passenger convenience, airport efficiency, and general readiness for a nationwide shift to a totally digital system were triggered by the implementation.

The President’s instruction resulted from the Federal Executive Council being made aware of the problem due to the broad responses and operational delays.

In September 2025, FAAN launched contactless payments for car access and parking at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja as pilot airports.

According to the authority, the system was safe and intended to increase travelers’ efficiency, convenience, and transparency.
Under the initiative, all airport payments, including access gates, parking, and executive lounges, were to be made digitally.
However, during the statewide launch, many drivers tried to register for Go Cashless cards at the gates, causing delays and traffic jams at important access points.
In order to alleviate congestion, FAAN acknowledged the situation and stated that more staff had been deployed, registration sites had been expanded, and on-the-ground communication had improved.

The Federal Government decided to temporarily halt the initiative because traffic continued to worsen despite these efforts.

Due to their large traffic volume—more than 300,000 vehicles pass through entry gates each month, and thousands of travelers use VIP lounges—FAAN chose Lagos and Abuja airports for the test program.

In order to prepare for widespread adoption, the rollout sought to gradually eliminate cash at strategic locations, such as car parks, VIP lounges, and vehicle entry gates.

The solution expedites vehicle movement and minimizes cash handling by enabling quick payments using NFC-enabled cards.
According to FAAN’s projections, revenue would increase by 50% during the pilot period and by 75% when more payment stations are introduced.
The overarching objective was to improve service quality in high-traffic locations and treble revenue within a year.
The government has stated that efficiency and passenger convenience will now take precedence as it evaluates and redesigns the payment framework, even if a totally computerized revenue collection system at airports is still the long-term goal.