BREAKING: Tinubu suspends Airport cashless toll policy after gridlock chaos

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate suspension of the cashless payment system at airport toll gates across the country following severe gridlock that left many passengers stranded and missing flights.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the decision on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House, Abuja.

According to Keyamo, the President directed a return to the old system pending the development of a more efficient electronic payment framework.

“Mr. President was very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians and the fact that most Nigerians were losing their flights,” Keyamo said. “Out of empathy, he directed that we suspend the present system because it creates a lot of gridlock, and Nigerians are suffering as a result of it.”

Lagos and Abuja Worst Hit

The suspension is aimed primarily at eliminating congestion at toll gates leading to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the nation’s busiest aviation hubs.

The cashless system, introduced less than a week ago by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), required motorists to obtain prepaid cards or use electronic payment platforms before accessing airport toll gates.

However, poor rollout, inadequate infrastructure, and payment bottlenecks triggered massive traffic congestion stretching several kilometres from airport entrances.

Hybrid System for Now

Keyamo disclosed that a temporary hybrid arrangement would be implemented, allowing both cash payments and the use of FAAN-issued prepaid cards.

“We are going to do a hybrid system whereby we can collect cash temporarily and, of course, use the cards that they have collected temporarily for now,” the minister explained.

He further revealed that the President had directed the ministry to urgently return “to the drawing board” and, if necessary, engage private sector partners to design a seamless revenue collection system that eliminates cash without creating chaos.

“Mr. President said if we have to pay commission, we have to pay commission, but we’ll bring in private sector participants to help us devise a much more efficient payment system,” Keyamo added.

Reform Goal, Implementation Flaws

FAAN had justified the cashless initiative as part of efforts to block revenue leakages and ensure transparency in toll collection — a system that had operated largely on cash for over 50 years. The reform aimed to enable real-time revenue tracking and eliminate opportunities for diversion.

But operational lapses overshadowed those objectives, sparking public outrage and widespread complaints on social media from airport users who spent hours in traffic trying to catch flights.

Although no timeline has been given for the reintroduction of a revamped electronic payment system, the minister stressed that the President wants a swift and lasting solution.