As part of efforts to eliminate revenue leakages and strengthen financial accountability. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing a comprehensive cashless payment regime across Nigerian airports.
Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), made the disclosure while addressing journalists in Abuja following her appearance before the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, chaired by Mr James Faleke.
The committee is conducting a revenue-monitoring exercise covering the 2023–2025 fiscal years, aimed at improving transparency and accountability among government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Mrs Kuku explained that FAAN has deployed robust electronic payment and collection systems to ensure that all revenues generated at airports, particularly at toll gates and other collection points, are properly captured, transparently processed, and fully remitted to the Federal Government.
According to her, the reform aligns with the current administration’s broader fiscal policy to plug financial leakages, enhance transparency, and boost internally generated revenue across MDAs.
She acknowledged that the full enforcement of the cashless regime, which commenced on Sunday, had caused temporary inconvenience to some airport users, especially traffic congestion at toll gates.
She, however, described the situation as an adjustment phase that would stabilise as more users adopt electronic payment options.
She clarified that the transition was not sudden, noting that sensitisation campaigns, public advertisements, and stakeholder engagements began in mid-2025 to prepare airport users for the shift from physical cash transactions to electronic payments.
Mrs Kuku also dismissed misconceptions that FAAN-issued cashless cards are the only approved payment method, stressing that the policy simply eliminates cash transactions rather than restricts users to a single platform.
She listed four major payment options currently available at airport toll gates, which include yearly E-Tags for frequent users, enabling seamless drive-through access, VIP Stickers for approved users to facilitate expedited passage, Personal bank ATM cards, including contactless/NFC-enabled cards for faster tap-and-go transactions, and FAAN-issued Cashless Cards, obtainable within airport premises and through designated partner banks.
The MD enjoined Nigerians to confirm with their banks whether their ATM cards are contactless-enabled, noting that such cards significantly reduce transaction time compared to traditional PIN-based payments.