FAAN’s New Ride App Sparks Airport Taxi Revolt

A viral video of distressed airport cab drivers appealing to President Bola Tinubu over what they believed was a directive to acquire 2020 model vehicles has thrown the spotlight on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s push to digitise ground transportation. The drivers, mostly operating at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, took to social media with an emotional plea, insisting that the cost of newer vehicles, ranging from N18 million to N30 million, was simply unaffordable given the country’s economic reality. “This is what we are facing. Nigerians should help us intervene,” one driver said in Yoruba in the video. “They said we should go and buy a vehicle from 2020 above. Vehicles that cost between N18 and N30 million, with the way Nigeria is now. There are no jobs in the country. Please pity us Nigerians.”

The video quickly gained traction, drawing widespread sympathy from a public already grappling with inflation and job losses. But as *The PUNCH* found, the dispute is not limited to vehicle models. At its core lies the rollout of FAAN’s Airport Car Hire Rank Management System, or ACHRAMS, a digital platform designed to regulate taxi operations, improve security, and streamline passenger movement.

Reacting to the outcry, FAAN’s Director of Commercial and Business Development, Ms. Adebola Agunbiade, dismissed the claim that drivers were being forced to upgrade to 2020 vehicles. “The claim that the main cause of the drivers’ actions is not accurate,” she said. “The footage shows planned resistance by car hire operators who refused to register on the ACHRAMS. This incident is not related to any policy regarding vehicle model year.” She clarified that FAAN’s minimum vehicle requirement is 2012 models and above, not 2020, and that the policy was introduced in 2024. The authority has extended compliance deadlines multiple times, from January to June, and now to October 1, 2026, to accommodate operators facing financial constraints. Agunbiade also rejected claims that the system was designed to reduce the number of operators, insisting that FAAN intends to clear all drivers, provided they comply with the laid-down standards. According to FAAN, nearly all existing taxi operators at MMIA have already been admitted into the pilot phase, except two companies whose unions allegedly advised members against participating while pursuing separate digital solutions.

ACHRAMS is a technology-driven initiative FAAN says will reshape airport transport through digital tracking of vehicles and drivers, stricter screening protocols, transparent fare systems, designated pick-up points, and electronic booking and payment options. The platform is being implemented under a ten-year concession managed by two private firms. FAAN insists that stakeholder consultations began in 2024, long before the pilot phase commenced.

Despite FAAN’s assurances, many operators argue that the consultation process has been inadequate. The National President of the National Association of Airport Cab Drivers, Mr. Adepegba Samuel, said the association does not oppose the initiative itself, what they want is genuine dialogue. “You see, when you want to introduce something that you want people to align with, there should be serious briefing and enlightenment,” Samuel said. “The people introducing something are in the office, but we are the ones operating on the road. They should speak with us so that we can also tell them our views.” He pointed out that drivers interact with passengers more than any other stakeholder after travellers leave the terminal, making their practical insight invaluable. “We try to take the message to the public, but we need to sit together,” he said. “There are things they don’t know in the office that are happening, because we deal with the public. We are at the finishing end of the job.”

He also raised concerns about the app’s design, arguing that a one-size-fits-all system would not work across different terminals. “The app they are talking about varies. The one that we work with at MM1 will not work at the international terminal. That is why we are seeking an audience with them, and they have refused to grant it. We are not fighting them, they are our bosses and principals, but they should please listen to us.” Samuel illustrated his point with a personal example: many drivers have built trusted relationships with passengers over decades. “I have a customer of more than 25 years. Some of them have children in Babcock and other boarding schools. They don’t even come to pick their children themselves because they have confidence in me. Imagine they are trying to reach me through the app from the international terminal while I am at the local airport. That will not be possible.”

Attempts to reach FAAN’s spokesperson, Henry Agbebire, for clarification on why the authority had not met directly with the union were unsuccessful at press time. However, a FAAN source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the authority has no contractual relationship with individual drivers and therefore has no basis to meet with them directly. Instead, FAAN engaged with the concessionaires who oversee the cab operators. “FAAN could not have met with them because they work at the airport under different companies, concessionaires, and these are the people FAAN met on several occasions. We couldn’t have met the drivers or unions,” the source said.

The dispute highlights a recurring tension in Nigeria’s aviation sector: the gap between regulatory intent and ground-level reality. While FAAN pushes for modernisation and security, drivers are struggling with the cost of compliance and the feeling that their voices are not being heard. For now, the app is moving forward, the deadline has been extended, and the drivers remain uneasy. Whether FAAN will eventually sit down with the union, or continue to work exclusively through concessionaires, remains to be seen.