President Tinubu Suspends FAAN Cashless Payment System at Airports

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) cashless payment policy at airports across the country.

The suspension follows widespread complaints from travellers, motorists, and airport staff over long queues, repeated payment failures, and missed flights, particularly at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

FAAN had introduced the “Go Cashless” system on March 1, 2026, requiring all payments at toll gates, car parks, lounges, and other airport facilities to be digital or prepaid card-based.

The rollout aimed to reduce cash handling, enhance security, speed up transactions, and improve revenue transparency. However, inadequate public awareness, limited card availability, and recurring technical glitches caused significant disruption.

FAAN reported distributing over 100,000 prepaid cards since October 2025, but many travellers still encountered delays, frustration, and confusion at airport points of service.

In response to the public backlash, President Tinubu directed the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development to immediately review the policy, address implementation issues, and develop a more traveller-friendly system.

FAAN acknowledged that the cashless reform remains necessary for modernizing airport services and curbing revenue leakages but admitted that better planning, public sensitization, and phased implementation are required.

The authority has urged patience while adjustments are made and emphasized that the suspension is temporary, with plans to resume a smoother, fully functional cashless system once issues are resolved.