Abuja: President Bola Tinubu has ordered an immediate suspension of the newly introduced cashless payment system at federal airports, following widespread traffic chaos and mounting frustration among travellers across Nigeria.
Mr Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, disclosed this on Wednesday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, which was presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
He noted that the policy had caused severe congestion and hardship for travellers, particularly at Lagos and Abuja airports.
According to him, the cashless system aimed to curb corruption and make revenue collection more transparent.
“The idea of introducing a cashless system was to eliminate corruption at the airports.
“However, with the introduction of the system, it created a lot of gridlock, and Nigerians have been suffering because of thedelays.”
He said the president ordered an immediate return to the previous payment method pending improvements.
“Mr President directed us to suspend the system because it causes gridlock.
“He said we should go back to the status quo and then perfect the system properly.”
Keyamo added that the president directed that the review of the platform be carried out expeditiously.
The President also said they should engage the private sector. He wants an electronic system that can collect money smoothly without causing delays.
The minister assured that consultations with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria on the next steps would continue.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) began implementing the cashless policy at airport toll gates on March 1, prior to the president’s directive.
The directive barred cash payments at airport toll gates. Motorists were required to use prepaid cards or electronic channels.
However, following its introduction, the development led to gridlock, with some passengers missing flights due to delays at toll points, before the suspension was ordered.
