The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reiterated that the Federal Government will not abandon the cashless payment policy at Nigerian airports.
Speaking on Friday during an inspection at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the minister said the government remains committed to the policy despite the temporary adoption of a hybrid payment system.
The hybrid arrangement was introduced after Bola Tinubu ordered a temporary suspension of the full cashless system following complaints about congestion at airport toll gates.
Keyamo explained that the current arrangement allows travellers who already possess the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) cashless cards to continue using them, while those without the cards may temporarily pay with cash until the transition to a fully cashless system is completed.
According to the minister, the adjustment was necessary to address traffic delays and prevent revenue losses.
“We went back to the drawing board to see how we could reduce traffic congestion and stop revenue leakages, which led to the introduction of the hybrid system,” he said.
He added that payments made through the card system are automatically transferred to the Treasury Single Account (TSA), ensuring transparency in government revenue collection.
Keyamo stressed that the government would not return to the old cash-based system at airports, noting that the policy aims to eliminate corruption associated with cash handling.
“There is no going back on the cashless system. It is too late for anyone who thinks the system can be frustrated because they prefer cash collection,” he said.
The minister also revealed that discussions are ongoing with concessionaires to fully automate airport operations across the country.
The earlier implementation of the cashless toll payment had caused long queues and heavy traffic at some airports, with passengers reportedly missing flights due to delays in completing electronic payments.