President Bola Tinubu has ordered the suspension of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) mandatory cashless payment policy.
This directive, was issued on March 4, 2026, just three days after a rollout that resulted in severe traffic congestion, which made many passengers miss their flights at Lagos and Abuja international airports.
The Minister of Aviation, Minister Festus Keyamo stated that the directive by the president was born out of compassion for the greater good of Nigerians;
”He [the President] gave the directive out of compassion for the members of the public who are missing their flights and who spend long periods in traffic. We are to revert to cash payments while developing a more seamless system” – Minister Festus Keyamo
Recall, in September 2025, FAAN announced the transition to a fully digital payment system for all vehicles entering airport premises. The Go Cashless policy, which is powered by a partnership with the fintech firm Paystack, mandates all motorists to use prepaid cards.
The policy is targeted at enforcing the Federal Treasury Single Account (TSA) regulations, in order to eliminate physical cash handling by government agencies.
However, the implementation on March 1, 2026, overwhelmed airport access points. This was because thousands of motorists were attempting to register and fund cards at airport gates, thereby creating queues that stretched several kilometers.
Motorists are advised to pay with cash at all airport gates with immediate effect, as FAAN reverts to a hybrid system of cash and prepaid cards.
The mandatory digital-only phase lasted only 72 hours before the presidency intervened to prevent further economic disruption and missed flight schedules.
The Federal Government as well as FAAN stressed that the move toward a cashless economy is a non-negotiable directive for all ministries and agencies. FAAN officials initially blamed the congestion on motorists who failed to register for cards during the five-month notice period provided since September 2025.
