President Tinubu Intervenes as FAAN Reverts to Hybrid Airport Payments to Resolve Massive Traffic Gridlock

FAAN suspends mandatory cashless airport tolling following President Tinubu's directive to ease traffic gridlock. Cash and digital payments now both accepted.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 6, 2026, 6:38 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Newsdiaryonline

Presidential Directive Restores Payment Flexibility

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has transitioned to a temporary hybrid payment structure at airport toll points across the country. This strategic reversal follows a direct intervention by President Bola Tinubu, who sought to mitigate the severe operational disruptions caused by the sudden enforcement of a strictly cashless policy. Managing Director Olubunmi Kuku noted that the President’s decision was informed by the significant logistical challenges encountered during the initial rollout, emphasizing a commitment to maintaining a functional environment for travelers and aviation staff.

Addressing the Infrastructure Bottleneck in Lagos

The shift to a hybrid model was largely prompted by chaotic scenes at major gateways, specifically the international airport in Lagos. Commuters and travelers reported massive traffic gridlocks at toll entrances as the digital-only system struggled to process transactions at a sufficient pace. According to Kuku, the move to allow cash alongside digital options is a "win for the industry," as it ensures that the physical limitations of the toll gates do not result in passengers missing their scheduled flights due to administrative delays.

Rapid User Onboarding Amidst Implementation Pressure

Despite the initial friction, FAAN has reported significant progress in its digital transition goals. Between October 2025 and early March 2026, the authority successfully enrolled over 100,000 users on its payment platform, with a surge of 60,000 registrations occurring just days before the original deadline. Kuku highlighted that the underlying technology achieved a 99 percent success rate during the rollout, suggesting that the primary issue was not technical failure but rather a lack of public readiness and a sufficiently long pilot phase.