President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate suspension of the recently introduced cashless payment system at airports nationwide, citing widespread hardship and operational gridlock caused by the policy.
The directive was announced by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and presided over by the President.
According to the minister, the cashless system, introduced less than two weeks ago, was designed to eliminate corruption and optimise federal government revenue collection at airport gates. The reform aimed to replace longstanding manual payment practices that had been in place for decades.
However, the rollout reportedly triggered severe congestion and delays at airport entry points across the country, leading to missed flights and widespread frustration among travellers. Keyamo explained that the President expressed concern over the welfare implications of the disruption.
He stated that President Tinubu, “out of empathy,” ordered the immediate suspension of the system, directing the ministry to revert to the previous payment structure while a more efficient framework is developed.
The minister further disclosed that the President instructed the ministry to “go back to the drawing board” and refine the payment mechanism to ensure it does not impose undue stress on Nigerians. He added that the President emphasised the urgency of resolving the issue and requested a prompt report once a workable solution has been developed.
Keyamo noted that the ministry will engage private sector stakeholders in designing a more seamless and technologically sound system capable of achieving revenue optimisation objectives without compromising passenger convenience.
With the suspension now in effect, airport operations are expected to return to the previous payment model pending the introduction of an improved alternative.
