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President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to suspend the cashless payment system recently introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).
Keyamo announced the president’s directive on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to the minister, the president instructed the aviation ministry to halt the current arrangement and review the system to ensure it operates without creating difficulties for airport users.
He said Tinubu had asked officials to “go back to the drawing board, suspend the present system and perfect a system that will work perfectly without putting unnecessary pressure on citizens.”
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The minister added that the president also urged authorities to take a swift decision on a revised framework, including the possibility of bringing in private sector partners to support the payment system.
“For now there will be a hybrid system whereby those who already possess cards will be allowed to use them, while those who prefer cash will also be allowed to do so,” Keyamo said.
He added that private sector participants could assist in developing a more efficient cashless collection system for airport services.
The FAAN cashless payment system was introduced this week at the Lagos and Abuja airports but has led to long queues and delays for travellers.
Keyamo announced the president’s directive was aimed at easing congestion at airport facilities rather than rejecting the idea of cashless payments.
“Further briefing will be made after conferring with FAAN,” he said.