We won’t go back on FAAN’s cashless payment policy – Keyamo

Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development yesterday said there was no going back on the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) cashless policy across major airports in Nigeria.

Keyamo stated this on Friday during an inspection of the newly introduced hybrid payment system at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The minister explained that the government remains committed to transitioning fully to electronic payment systems at airport access points, stressing that the temporary hybrid model was introduced to ease current operational challenges.

According to him, the hybrid system allows motorists who already possess payment cards issued by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to continue using them, while others who are yet to obtain the cards may still pay with cash for a limited period.

The government had earlier adjusted the full rollout of the policy after motorists complained of long queues and severe traffic congestion at airport gates following the initial implementation.

The situation reportedly caused delays for passengers trying to access airport terminals, with some missing their scheduled flights.

Keyamo, however, maintained that the hybrid arrangement is only a temporary measure to address the challenges and prevent revenue losses.

He also reiterated the Federal Government’s directive that no federal agency should collect cash directly from the public, noting that payments made through the card system are automatically remitted into the Treasury Single Account.

The minister further disclosed that discussions are ongoing with private concessionaires to upgrade airport facilities and introduce fully automated systems aimed at eliminating manual cash transactions permanently.

He added that the reforms are part of efforts to end decades-long cash handling practices at Nigerian airports and improve transparency in revenue collection.