Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has ordered the immediate suspension of the newly introduced cashless toll gate system at airports across the country, following reports that passengers and motorists were stranded due to traffic congestion at airport entrances.
The policy, which took effect on 1 March 2026, barred cash payments at airport toll gates and required motorists to use prepaid access cards or electronic payment channels.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said the president had directed the ministry to review the system and address the operational challenges that led to gridlock at several airports.
“In fact, the President directed me that this shouldn’t take too long. It should not take too long, and I should get back to him on this issue,” Mr Keyamo said.
He added that the ministry would “go back and, if possible, even engage the private sector to ensure that we establish an electronic system by which we can collect these revenues for the federal government at the gates, to the extent that it will not create the gridlock that we are having right now”.
Mr Keyamo also announced that a temporary hybrid arrangement would be introduced, allowing both cash payments and the use of prepaid cards issued by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), pending the outcome of the review.
LAGOS EYE News reports that the federal government has not said how long the suspension will last but indicated that efforts would be made to implement a more efficient electronic system without disrupting airport access.
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