Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, has said the agency would adopt a hybrid payment system at airport tollgates, following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking with aviation journalists at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, yesterday, Kuku said the decision followed the directive of the President after deliberations at the Federal Executive Council (FEC), which asked the agency to refine and improve the implementation process before a full rollout.

She described the directive as a major win for FAAN and the entire sector, noting that the agency had initially pushed for a hybrid approach that allows both cashless and cash payments.

She explained that FAAN had begun the sensitisation campaigns on the cashless policy since October last year, including awareness efforts supported by the National Orientation Agency (NOA).

She explained that management approved the migration to the ‘Go Cashless’ policy after the FEC approved it, which set a deadline for all government agency revenue points to migrate.

“So, for me and the agency, we actually thank Mr President for this laudable initiative. The fact that the President is not just taking Federal Government initiatives or policy rollouts, but also understanding the nature of every environment.

“He saw the traffic gridlock that we were having as we were rolling out the cashless policy, and in his good nature and understanding of our environment, he took it upon himself to ask us to revert to the status quo or the hybrid approach. That’s what we’re doing. So, this is a win for the industry.

Kuku said the President’s intervention was aimed at preventing passengers from missing flights and ensuring a smoother experience at the airports.

On the timeline for the reintroduction of the improved system, the FAAN boss said the Presidency had given the agency time to refine the technology and increase user adoption.

According to her, between October last year and March 2026, over 100,000 users had registered for the cashless toll payment system, with about 60 of them doing so in the last three days of the exercise.

She insisted that FAAN recorded about 99 per cent success rate with the cashless cards deployed, but admitted that the initial rollout created significant traffic congestion, particularly in Lagos, while the situation was gradually easing at the Abuja airport.

She attributed the chaos at the Lagos airport partly to the location of airport tollgates, which she said were used not only by airport passengers, but also by commuters travelling to other parts of the state.

“You would note that the location of the toll gates in itself is not necessarily ideal. And I say that because it’s not just for airport users, right? Within the Lagos environment, you have other commuters who are either people working in the airport area or commuting to other areas.

“We would continue to have unique users, not just repeat users, being service workers of the airport environment and passengers, hence the amount of gridlock,” she said.

She emphasised that FAAN would also work with private sector partners to improve the technology and payment channels, including the use of cards and electronic tags.

According to her, the transition to a fully cashless system remained part of the government’s strategy to block revenue leakages, but it will now be implemented more gradually with improved public awareness and operational adjustments.