President Tinubu Orders Immediate Suspension of Airport Cashless Policy Implementation
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo SAN, to immediately suspend the implementation of the cashless policy at the gates of Nigeria's airports. This decisive action comes in response to massive vehicular gridlock that paralyzed operations at both the Murtala Mohammad International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Chaos at Airport Gates Prompts Presidential Intervention
The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had previously announced March 1, 2026, as the commencement date for the cashless policy implementation at Nigerian airports. The agency described this initiative as a measure to curb corruption and increase government revenue through digital payment systems.
However, the policy rollout resulted in unprecedented traffic congestion at airport entrances. Pictures and videos circulated widely on social media showing desperate air travelers abandoning their vehicles to avoid missing flights due to the extensive delays caused by the new payment system.
The implementation required airport users to queue and pay through one of four cashless payment methods provided by FAAN, creating bottlenecks that overwhelmed the existing infrastructure.
Minister's Initial Response and Subsequent Presidential Directive
Prior to the presidential intervention, Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo had addressed the situation on his social media platforms on March 4, 2026. The minister stated that his team would review the policy's first week of implementation by the weekend, but insisted that the cashless system would continue operating in the meantime.
"By the end of this week, I, along with my team, will be reviewing the first week of our going cashless at all our payment points at airports across the country in order to eliminate corruption and optimise revenue," Keyamo posted.
The minister had appealed for patience, adding: "We will surely improve the efficiency of the new system as time progresses by developing new ideas, but this government is determined to end the practice of collecting cash at our gates. Kindly bear with us, please."
However, hours after the minister's statement, news emerged from the State House that President Tinubu had ordered the immediate suspension of the policy implementation. This presidential directive appears to be a direct response to the significant inconvenience experienced by airport users and the operational disruptions caused by the new system.
Policy Objectives and Implementation Challenges
The cashless policy at airports was designed with several key objectives:
- Reducing opportunities for corruption at airport payment points
- Increasing government revenue through transparent digital transactions
- Modernizing payment systems at Nigeria's international gateways
- Aligning with global best practices in airport management
Despite these worthy goals, the implementation revealed significant infrastructure and operational challenges that will need to be addressed before any future rollout. The suspension order from President Tinubu represents a pragmatic response to a policy that created more problems than it solved in its initial implementation phase.
This development highlights the ongoing tension between policy innovation and practical implementation in Nigeria's transportation sector, particularly at critical infrastructure points like international airports that serve as the nation's primary gateways to the world.
