President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate suspension of the cashless toll system recently introduced at major airports by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), following widespread confusion and traffic gridlock.
Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing state house correspondents after the meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation at the Presidential Villa Abuja.
He said the President’s directive was motivated by empathy for Nigerians affected by the sudden rollout.
“The President is concerned about the inconvenience caused to airport users and wants the system perfected quickly before it is reintroduced,” Keyamo explained.
He added that the Ministry will work with the private sector to develop a more efficient method of collecting toll revenues at airport gates.
The directive comes after chaos at Lagos and Abuja airports on Sunday, when motorists struggled to comply with the cashless policy.
Long queues formed as drivers rushed to obtain prepaid access cards, with some passengers missing flights due to delays.
The system had barred cash payments at toll gates, requiring the use of electronic payment channels instead.
Keyamo noted that while the cashless system was designed to reduce corruption and improve revenue collection, the immediate rollout revealed logistical challenges.
“The President is empathetic to the difficulties experienced by Nigerians and has therefore asked for a review,” he said, adding that alleviating traffic congestion remains a key priority.
FAAN had earlier indicated that the cashless system aligned with the federal government’s directive for electronic revenue collection across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), but officials acknowledged that the abrupt implementation caught many airport users unprepared.
Details later
(Editor: Ada Ononye)
