The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, has disclosed that more than 100,000 airport access cards have been issued to motorists nationwide as part of efforts to implement the Federal Government’s cashless policy at airport tollgates.
Kuku made the disclosure on Monday, noting that 62,000 of the cards were issued within just three days after the enforcement of the policy began at airports across the country.
The rollout of the cashless system, which took effect on March 1, initially caused widespread disruption at major airports. Motorists and passengers experienced long queues at entry points, with some travelers reportedly struggling to catch their flights due to heavy traffic.
The development prompted President Bola Tinubu to order that airport tollgates be opened temporarily, allowing motorists free access for the past five days as authorities work to address the challenges.
According to Kuku, the implementation process became hectic despite prior public awareness campaigns.
“Of course, in the implementation of the cashless policy, it made it quite hectic because a lot of the commuters and even some of the passengers, despite a lot of the awareness, did not believe that we would actually start the enforcement on March 1st,” she said.
She explained that the sudden rush for registration created significant bottlenecks during the first few days but added that traffic had started easing gradually.
“We’ve registered about 100,000 customers, of which 62,000 were actually done in the last three days. In Abuja, for example, we saw the traffic start to ease up,” Kuku stated.
She added that ensuring seamless access to airports remains a priority for the authority.
“We are an airport, and our ultimate goal outside of safety and security is also to make sure that our passengers and neighbouring areas have a seamless experience. We’re grateful to Mr President. He was able to step in,” she said.
Following the presidential directive, FAAN officials stationed at airport tollgates vacated the entry points, leaving the gates open to motorists.
A motorist identified as Idris confirmed that vehicles had been passing freely through the tollgates without payment or checks since the directive was issued.
“I’m surprised. I have been passing through the tollgate for about five days now, and not a single official of FAAN was on the ground. I guess they are restrategising,” he said.
Eyewitnesses also reported that the absence of officials resulted in smooth traffic flow at airport entrances, in contrast to the severe gridlock experienced earlier during the enforcement phase.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed the President’s directive while briefing journalists after the Federal Executive Council meeting.
According to him, the decision to suspend the policy was taken after concerns that many passengers were missing their flights due to the congestion at airport tollgates.
“Mr President was very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians and the fact that most Nigerians were missing their flights,” Keyamo said.
He added that the government had directed the ministry and FAAN to temporarily revert to the previous payment arrangement while authorities develop a more efficient electronic solution for airport access nationwide.
