GRIDLOCK, MISSED FLIGHTS AS FAAN ENFORCES CASHLESS POLICY AT LAGOS, ABUJA AIRPORTS

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

Passengers travelling through airports in Lagos and Abuja on Sunday were left stranded following the full enforcement of the Federal Government’s cashless payment policy at airport access gates, resulting in massive gridlock and missed flights.

The policy, implemented by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), requires motorists to make electronic payments at airport toll gates using a dedicated FAAN card.

Many travellers described chaotic scenes as motorists struggled to comply with the new system. Some passengers reportedly abandoned their vehicles at airport entrances to catch their flights, while others missed scheduled departures after spending hours in traffic queues stretching several kilometres.

A frequent flyer in Lagos, Adedeji Rilewan, criticised what he described as poor planning.

“Nobody is against cashless payment, but you don’t introduce a system that prevents people from catching flights. Airports are time-sensitive environments. I had to park my car with my cousins at the gate to be able to catch my flight,” he said.

Another passenger at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, who identified himself as Wale, said the situation was confusing and poorly managed.

“I left home very early, thinking I had enough time for my flight, only to get stuck at the airport gate for over an hour. The payment system was not working smoothly,” he said.

Although FAAN had announced in September 2025 that all payments at its revenue points—including access gates, car parks, VIP lounges, and protocol services—would become fully electronic, enforcement only began in earnest on March 1, 2026. The move, according to the agency, is aimed at blocking revenue leakages and promoting transparency.

Under the new system, users must obtain a FAAN electronic card, register it, fund it, and scan it at entry points. While POS and ATM card payments were accepted in some cases, passengers complained that such transactions were slow and often unsuccessful.

Responding to the disruption, FAAN spokesperson Henry Agbebire attributed the gridlock to last-minute compliance by motorists.

“Nobody passed through the toll gate and paid cash today, and that led to traffic congestion because many people were registering on the spot to obtain cards,” he said, adding that the cards are free but must be funded before use.

Agbebire noted that additional personnel would be deployed to assist travellers with on-site registration and expressed confidence that the situation would improve.

Also reacting, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) spokesperson Michael Achimugu described the disruption as temporary, saying the process would become seamless once users obtain the payment cards.

He maintained that the initiative is designed to curb corruption and enhance transparency in revenue collection across Nigeria’s aviation sector.