The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has restated its firm commitment to ensuring full implementation of a cashless payment system across all the airports, effective February 28, 2026.
 
The Managing Director, FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, reiterated this position on Wednesday, during a visit by executives and members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) and Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) to her office at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.
 The unions had sought clarification on the decision to discontinue cash transactions at airports.
 
FAAN, in a statement on Thursday, said that the engagement with the unions provided an opportunity for robust dialogue, reflecting the agency’s open-door policy and commitment to inclusive stakeholder consultation.
 Kuku told the unions that the transition to a cashless system was not only in line with global best practices in aviation management but also consistent with the Federal Government’s directives aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability, and operational efficiency.
 
According to her, a treasury circular dated November 24, 2025, issued by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and signed by the Accountant General, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, mandated the stoppage of cash transactions in all government dealings.
 She explained that the directive followed approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to discontinue physical cash collections and payments as part of broader public finance reforms.
 
“There is no going back on this decision. The cashless initiative aligns FAAN with national financial management reforms while positioning Nigeria’s airports for greater operational integrity, improved service delivery and stronger revenue assurance,” she said.
 She pointed out that the reform also formed part of FAAN’s broader strategic agenda to deepen stakeholder engagement by fostering transparency, building trust and ensuring that partners, unions, concessionaires and service providers were carried along in key operational decisions.
 
The FAAN boss also highlighted the enormous benefits of a cashless system to the aviation ecosystem, which included reduction in leakages, improved transaction traceability, faster service delivery and enhanced public confidence in airport operations.
 Addressing concerns raised about the use of Paystack as a third-party platform, Kuku clarified that Paystack merely serves as a payment gateway for processing transactions.
 
She assured stakeholders that no revenue was paid into any Paystack account, as all payments are made directly from Point of Sale (POS) terminals into designated Federal Government accounts.