FAAN Issues Over 100,000 Airport Access Cards Following Tollgate Disruptions

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has issued more than 100,000 airport access cards to motorists nationwide as part of efforts to implement the Federal Government’s cashless policy at airport tollgates, Managing Director Olubunmi Kuku has disclosed.

Speaking on Monday, Kuku revealed that 62,000 of these cards were issued within just three days of enforcing the policy, a surge that came amid widespread disruptions that prompted presidential intervention.

The cashless policy took effect on March 1, 2025, but its enforcement triggered severe gridlock and confusion at major airports, with long vehicle queues forming at entry points and many passengers struggling to catch their flights. The situation sparked public outcry and drew the attention of President Bola Tinubu, who directed that airport gates be temporarily opened to allow motorists free passage as an immediate relief measure.

Kuku acknowledged that the rollout encountered significant challenges despite prior awareness campaigns.

“In the implementation of the cashless policy, it made it quite hectic because a lot of the commuters and even some of the passengers, despite a lot of the awareness, did not believe that we would actually start the enforcement on March 1st,” she said. “It did create a huge bottleneck over the first few days, but we saw that it actually started to ease up.”

She provided data showing registration figures from October 2025 to March 3, 2026, noting that of the over 100,000 customers registered, 62,000 completed their applications in the final three days of enforcement.

“In Abuja, for example, we saw the traffic start to ease up. But despite that, we are an airport. And our ultimate goal outside of safety and security is also to make sure that our passengers and the neighbouring areas have a seamless experience. We’re grateful to Mr President. He was able to step in,” Kuku added.

Following the President’s directive, FAAN officials stationed at airport gates vacated the entry points, leaving barricades open. Motorists have since enjoyed free passage for the past five days.

One motorist, Idris, who regularly uses the airport route, confirmed the development. “I have been passing through the tollgate for about five days now, and not a single official of FAAN was on the ground. I guess they are restrategising,” he said.

Eyewitnesses reported that the absence of officials has restored free traffic flow at previously congested tollgates—a sharp contrast to the gridlock experienced during enforcement.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, confirmed the President’s directive while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting.

“Mr President was very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians and the fact that most Nigerians were missing their flights. So Mr President, out of empathy, directed today that we should suspend the present system because it creates a lot of gridlock and Nigerians are suffering as a result of it,” Keyamo said.

He added that the ministry and FAAN have been directed to temporarily revert to the previous payment arrangement while developing a more efficient electronic solution for airport access nationwide.