By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has insisted that the Federal Government will not abandon the cashless payment policy at the nation’s airports, despite operational challenges experienced during its initial rollout. The minister made the clarification in Abuja on March 10, 2026, after a review meeting with officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and senior ministry staff to assess the difficulties recorded at airport access gates.
Keyamo explained that the earlier fully cashless system introduced at airport toll gates on March 1, 2026 caused severe traffic congestion at entry points, particularly at major facilities such as Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The congestion occurred because many motorists lacked the required prepaid cards and attempted to register at the gates, creating long queues and delays.
To address the problem without abandoning the reform, the minister directed the adoption of a hybrid payment system beginning March 13, 2026, allowing motorists to pay either electronically or with cash while authorities upgrade the infrastructure for a fully automated system in the future.
Keyamo stressed that the ultimate objective remains eliminating cash transactions to improve transparency, block revenue leakages, and modernise airport operations across Nigeria’s aviation sector.
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