President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate suspension of the cashless payment system recently introduced at airport access points across the country. The directive—which was issued to Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, and to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)—comes amid widespread reports of gridlock and hardship for travellers at major airports.
The cashless initiative, branded “Go Cashless,” was rolled out on March 1, 2026 with the aim of modernising airport revenue collection, reducing cash handling, and curbing long-standing revenue leakages at toll gates, parking areas, and other airport payment points nationwide.
However, motorists and passengers experienced severe delays and long queues at access gates—especially at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja—leading to missed flights and mounting public frustration. In response to the backlash and operational bottlenecks, President Tinubu intervened to halt the policy’s enforcement.
At a briefing following the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, Minister Keyamo said the President’s decision was driven by concern for travellers’ welfare and the need to restore seamless airport access.
He explained that the cashless system will be suspended “pending improvements” while authorities work to design a more efficient and user-friendly framework.
As part of interim arrangements, a hybrid payment system will be introduced that allows both cash payments and the use of existing prepaid FAAN cards for those who already obtained them.
The Federal Government also plans to engage private sector partners to help develop a more robust electronic payment platform that does not cause traffic congestion or inconvenience to airport users.
Government officials stressed that the suspension should not be interpreted as a rejection of digital payment in principle, but rather as a pause to refine the policy and ensure it works efficiently without creating gridlock—a move aligned with broader efforts to modernise Nigeria’s aviation sector and improve revenue transparency.
