Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has declared that the Federal Government will fully implement a cashless payment system across all airport revenue points, insisting that there will be no reversal of the policy.
Keyamo said the hybrid payment system currently operating at airports is only temporary, stressing that the government will soon transition to a fully automated platform for toll and service payments.
The minister made the remarks during an on-the-spot assessment of the hybrid payment policy at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport tollgate in Abuja, following the earlier suspension of the cashless system by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to him, the move to a cashless system aligns with a federal directive prohibiting government agencies from collecting cash.
“There is no going back on the cashless system. For those who think they can frustrate the policy because they prefer traditional cash collection, we have passed that stage,” the minister said.
He disclosed that the President had already given him a deadline to ensure the aviation sector transitions fully to electronic payments.
“At the last Federal Executive Council meeting, Mr. President made it clear that I have a deadline to go fully cashless. Once Mr. President pushes me, I will also push those under me,” Keyamo stated.
The minister revealed that discussions are ongoing with concessionaires to deploy a fully automated system that will eliminate human interference and reduce revenue leakages.
According to him, the current manual process has encouraged corruption within the system.
“For more than 50 years, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has been collecting cash at various points and people are used to that corrupt system. But we will not allow it to continue,” he said.
Keyamo added that a sub-committee has been set up to evaluate proposals from concessionaires, after which a business case will be presented to the Federal Executive Council for approval.
To encourage compliance, the minister directed airport authorities to make electronic payments cheaper than cash payments.
He explained that the incentive would motivate travelers and drivers to adopt the new system and obtain payment cards.
“Make the card payments cheaper than cash so people will have the incentive to use them,” he instructed officials.
Keyamo also revealed that special privileges allowing VIPs to pass airport tollgates without payment would soon end under the automated system.
According to him, such exemptions have significantly reduced revenue generation at airports.
“It was out of frustration that I took a memo to council to stop VIP privileges because about half of our revenue goes to VIPs who pass without paying,” he said.
The minister noted that under the automated system, every user—regardless of status—will be required to pay before gaining access.
“Everybody in Abuja thinks they are a big man, but once the machine is installed, you will talk to the machine. If you don’t pay, the machine will not allow you to pass,” he added.
The planned transition, he said, marks a major step toward transparency and efficiency in Nigeria’s aviation sector.