By Seun Ibiyemi
Nigeria’s airports will begin operating a hybrid payment system at access gates from Thursday, March 13, following the suspension of the fully cashless arrangement that caused traffic congestion at several airports across the country.
The new system, introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), will allow motorists to pay gate access fees using both cash and electronic channels, replacing the previously enforced cashless-only policy.
The decision followed an order by Bola Ahmed Tinubu directing the immediate suspension of the cashless payment system after it triggered gridlock at airport entrances.
Read also:Chaos at Airport as FAAN cashless policy forces travelers to ditch cars amid gridlock
Subsequently, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, instructed FAAN to temporarily revert to the previous payment arrangement while authorities work on a more effective long-term solution.
Under the new arrangement, motorists who already possess FAAN Go Cashless Cards will still be able to use them at the gates. Point-of-sale (POS) terminals and other approved electronic payment channels will also remain operational alongside cash payments.
“This directive restores the previous access gate payment arrangement while the ministry continues to work on the fully automated or electronic system,” said Tunde Moshood in a statement.
The ministry explained that it would continue discussions with airport concessionaires to develop a fully automated electronic payment system that could eventually eliminate cash transactions entirely.
In the meantime, members of the public have been encouraged to obtain and use the FAAN Go Cashless Card as part of efforts to improve efficiency in airport operations.
Earlier, Keyamo had indicated on March 4 that the ministry planned to review the first seven days of the cashless system’s implementation to evaluate its impact on revenue generation and curb corruption.
However, the severe traffic congestion experienced at several airport entry points prompted the government to suspend the system sooner than expected and introduce the hybrid payment arrangement.
