Tinubu ordered improvement, not suspension of airport cashless policy, FAAN clarifies

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, has clarified that President Bola Tinubu did not completely suspend the newly introduced airport cashless payment policy but directed that the process be improved before full implementation.

Kuku made the clarification during a press conference at the Lagos airport on Thursday, less than 24 hours after the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced that the President had ordered the policy’s suspension. The announcement followed four days of severe traffic gridlock affecting motorists, travellers and other airport users.

According to Kuku, the cashless initiative was introduced after approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which directed federal agencies to discontinue cash transactions from February 28.

She explained that the President had asked authorities to refine the implementation process rather than scrap the policy entirely.

“You heard the minister yesterday following the FEC meeting where the president asked us not necessarily to suspend the policy but to ensure the process is improved before it is rolled out,” she said.

Kuku described the directive as a positive development for both FAAN and the Ministry of Aviation, noting that the agency had earlier recommended a hybrid system that combines cashless and automated payment options.

She added that the government-imposed deadline made full implementation challenging.

“We were asked to implement a federal government directive from the FEC, but we had actually requested a hybrid approach that allows both cashless and automated transactions,” she said, while commending the President for considering the realities of the operating environment.