The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, has welcomed the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to refine the implementation of the airport cashless toll policy, describing the decision as a major win for the aviation sector.
Briefing aviation correspondents, the FAAN boss said the President’s directive, conveyed through the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, followed deliberations at the Federal Executive Council (FEC), where the federal government advised that the process should not be completely suspended but improved before full enforcement.
According to her, the agency had earlier begun preparations for the cashless system in October last year through public enlightenment campaigns, including collaboration with the National Orientation Agency to sensitise the public across social media platforms.
She explained that the authority was implementing a federal government directive but had initially proposed a hybrid model that would allow both cash and automated payment options.
The FAAN Managing Director said President Tinubu’s intervention demonstrated a clear understanding of operational realities in the aviation environment, particularly the traffic congestion experienced during the early rollout of the policy.
“We actually thank Mr. President for this laudable initiative. The fact that the President is not just rolling out policies but also understanding the nature of every environment is commendable”, she said.
She noted that the heavy traffic gridlock observed around airport toll gates especially in Lagos prompted the decision to temporarily revert to a hybrid system that allows both cash payments and electronic options.
According to him, while the technology deployed for the cashless system recorded about 99 percent success, the location of toll gates and the high volume of commuters in airport corridors contributed significantly to the congestion.
“In Lagos, the airport road is used not only by passengers but also by workers and commuters travelling to other areas such as Ikeja and surrounding locations. This creates unique users every day, not just repeat users,” she explained.
Despite the initial challenges, FAAN recorded significant adoption levels for the system. The Managing Director revealed that over 100,000 users had already registered for the cashless payment platform between October and early March, with about 60,000 registrations occurring within the last three days before enforcement.
She described the figure as a strong indicator of public acceptance and growing awareness.
The FAAN chief said the Federal Government has now granted the agency additional time to refine the system, expand user onboarding, and improve public awareness before reintroducing full implementation.
Kuku explained that FAAN would continue working with private sector partners to improve the technology, expand payment channels including cards and electronic tags and apply lessons from similar systems in other countries.
According to her, the extended timeline will also allow FAAN to strengthen pilot testing and address operational challenges encountered during the initial rollout.
While cash payments have been temporarily reintroduced, the Managing Director assured that the authority would implement stricter checks and accountability mechanisms to minimise revenue leakages.
She noted that one of the key objectives of the cashless initiative was to ensure that all toll revenues are properly remitted to the Federal Government.
“All the necessary checks and balances will be put in place to ensure transparency and reduce leakages even as we operate the hybrid model,” he added.
The FAAN boss emphasised that the cashless policy has not been cancelled but is undergoing refinement to ensure smoother implementation and improved user experience for airport passengers and other road users.