Tinubu Orders Suspension of Cashless Policy Implementation at Airport Gates

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has instructed the Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo SAN to suspend the implementation of the cashless policy at the gates of the nation's airports following the massive gridlock that occurred at both the Murtala Mohammad International Airport, Lagos, and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Readers will recall that the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) earlier announced March 1 as the kick-off date for the implementation of the cashless policy at Nigerian airports in what the agency described as an initiative to curb corruption and increase government revenue.

Following the kick-off, pictures and videos of massive vehicular traffic at the gate of the Lagos airport circulated online as the new mode of payment led to a delay in movement, which led some passengers to abandon their cars to avoid missing their flights.

Reacting to the development, the Minister of Aviation Mr Festus Keyamo, in a post on his social media page on February 4, 2026, stated that the ministry was going to review the policy at the end of the week, but insisted that in the meantime, it would continue to be implemented while also calling for patience.

"By the end of this week, I, along with my team, will be reviewing the first week of our going cashless at all our payment points at airports across the country in order to eliminate corruption and optimise revenue. We will surely improve the efficiency of the new system as time progresses by developing new ideas, but this government is determined to end the practice of collecting cash at our gates. Kindly bear with us, please."

Hours after his post, news emanating from the State House is that President Tinubu has now instructed that the implementation of the cashless policy at the airport be suspended in what appears to be a reaction to the inconvenience resulting from its implementation, as airport users had to queue to pay through either of the four cashless means provided by FAAN.