President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate suspension of the cashless payment policy recently introduced at Nigeria’s international airports by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, following widespread disruption that left passengers stranded and caused severe traffic congestion at major terminals.
The policy, tagged Operation Go Cashless, was rolled out earlier in the week and mandated electronic payments at toll gates, car parks and other revenue points within airport facilities nationwide. The initiative was conceived as part of efforts to enhance transparency, block revenue leakages and align airport operations with the Federal Government’s broader digital payment reforms.
However, the abrupt implementation triggered operational setbacks, including inadequate public awareness, insufficient availability of payment cards and delays in processing electronic transactions. These challenges resulted in long queues and gridlock at entry and exit points, particularly at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, with some travellers reportedly missing scheduled flights.
Addressing journalists at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said the President expressed concern over the hardship experienced by Nigerians and directed that the policy be reviewed comprehensively before reintroduction. He clarified that the suspension was a corrective measure aimed at protecting the travelling public from avoidable inconvenience.
Keyamo explained that the decision does not amount to a rejection of cashless transactions but reflects the need for better planning, improved infrastructure and wider stakeholder engagement. He hinted that the government may explore partnerships with private sector operators to design a more efficient system, possibly adopting a hybrid arrangement that allows both electronic and cash payments during a transition period.
The development underscores the complexities involved in executing large scale digital reforms within high traffic environments where user readiness and system capacity must align seamlessly. It also signals the administration’s willingness to recalibrate policy direction in response to public feedback, even as it sustains its commitment to modernising federal revenue collection systems.