Cashless Policy at Nigerian Airports Suspended Following Tinubu’s Intervention

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday ordered the immediate suspension of the cashless payment system recently introduced at airports nationwide, citing the hardship and traffic gridlock it has caused within a week of implementation.

The directive was disclosed 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, Abuja.

Keyamo said the President expressed concern over reports that passengers were missing flights due to congestion triggered by the new electronic payment process at airport gates.

According to him, the President directed the ministry to revert to the previous system and “go back to the drawing board” to develop a more efficient and less stressful framework.

“With the introduction of the cashless system less than two weeks ago, it has created a lot of gridlock across the country. Mr. President was very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians and the fact that most Nigerians were losing or missing their flights,” Keyamo said.

He added that Tinubu instructed the ministry to refine the model and report back promptly, stressing that any reintroduced electronic system must not disrupt passenger movement.

The minister noted that the original objective of the reform was to curb corruption and optimise federal revenue, a practice he said had remained unchanged for over 50 years. However, he acknowledged that the rollout had resulted in significant congestion at airport entry points.

Keyamo further revealed that the ministry would engage private sector stakeholders to design a more seamless electronic payment solution.

The suspension takes immediate effect, pending the development of a revised framework aimed at balancing revenue optimisation with passenger convenience.