Officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Thursday vacated the access tollgate at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, hours after President Bola Tinubu ordered the suspension of the airport’s cashless payment policy.
A motorist who drove through the airport shortly after the announcement said there were no FAAN officials at the toll point, while barricades had been left open, allowing vehicles to move freely without payment or checks.
“I passed through the tollgate about 20 minutes ago and didn’t see any FAAN official on duty. The place was completely open. I believe they are restrategising,” the motorist said.
The development followed the Federal Government’s decision to halt the recently introduced cashless regime at airport tollgates, which had triggered confusion and heavy traffic congestion, particularly in Lagos and Abuja.
Eyewitnesses said the absence of officials led to an immediate improvement in traffic flow at the usually busy MMIA access gate, contrasting sharply with the long queues recorded earlier during enforcement of the policy.
As of press time, FAAN had not released an official statement outlining new operational guidelines for the airport tollgate.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the President’s directive while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting.
According to Keyamo, the President expressed concern over the hardship faced by Nigerians, particularly those missing their flights due to gridlock caused by the system.
“Mr President was very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians and the fact that most Nigerians were missing their flights. Out of empathy, he directed that we suspend the present system because it has created significant traffic congestion,” Keyamo said.
He added that the President instructed the ministry and FAAN to temporarily revert to the previous payment arrangement while efforts are made to implement a more efficient electronic solution.