Tinubu Suspends FAAN Cashless Airport Policy After Nationwide Gridlock

President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate suspension of the cashless payment policy introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), following widespread traffic congestion and public backlash at major airports across the country.

The directive, issued to Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, came barely four days after the initiative took effect, triggering massive gridlock at airport gates in Lagos, Abuja and other key hubs. Several passengers were reportedly stranded, with some missing scheduled flights due to prolonged delays at entry points.

The policy, which commenced on March 1, 2026, prohibited cash payments at all FAAN-controlled facilities, including toll gates, car parks and executive lounges, under an initiative tagged “Operation Go Cashless.”

Ironically, hours before the suspension order, Keyamo had defended the reform in a post on X, stating that the Federal Government remained committed to eliminating cash collections at airport gates to curb corruption and improve revenue generation.

FAAN had introduced four digital payment channels for motorists accessing airport premises nationwide. These included the FAAN Go Cashless Card, E-Tag for automatic deductions, VIP Stickers for authorised vehicles, and ATM/Debit Card payments via POS terminals.

The initiative, launched in partnership with Paystack in September 2025, was first piloted at Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. FAAN had projected that the system would make transactions faster, safer and more transparent, with expectations of boosting revenue by as much as 75 percent.

However, implementation challenges quickly surfaced. On the first day of enforcement, motorists without prepaid cards struggled to gain access to airport facilities. POS terminals reportedly experienced slow processing times due to banking network issues, resulting in long queues and vehicular congestion extending beyond airport premises.

The suspension is expected to provide temporary relief while authorities review the operational setbacks and consider improvements to the digital payment framework.