President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate suspension of the newly introduced cashless payment system at federal airports across the country.
The directive was confirmed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who said the President intervened following reports that the system was causing significant gridlock at airport entry points, leading to passengers missing their flights.
According to the minister, President Tinubu expressed concern over the inconvenience being experienced by Nigerians and ordered that the current arrangement be halted out of empathy for affected travellers.
The President further instructed the ministry to revert to the previous payment structure while efforts are made to address operational challenges and improve the system.
Keyamo said the ministry has been directed to perfect the cashless framework as quickly as possible before any future reintroduction.
The policy, introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on March 1, prohibited cash payments at airport access points, toll gates, car parks and lounges as part of efforts to curb corruption and improve revenue accountability in the aviation sector.
The rollout, however, was marked by traffic congestion at major airports, particularly Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, as many motorists arrived without prepaid cards.