President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the immediate suspension of the cashless payment policy at Nigerian airports, a move prompted by widespread traffic gridlock and reports of passengers missing flights following the system’s rollout earlier this week, aviation sources report.

The directive was announced on Wednesday March 4, 2026 by Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, after a Federal Executive Council meeting at the State House in Abuja. Keyamo said the cashless policy introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had caused severe congestion at major airport access points in Lagos and Abuja, prompting urgent intervention by the President.

Under the suspended system, motorists and travellers were required to use electronic payments such as “Go Cashless” cards POS or debit cards at airport toll gates parking lots and lounges. While the policy was intended to eliminate cash handling reduce corruption and improve revenue transparency, its implementation triggered long queues that left many passengers stranded and struggling to reach terminals on time.

Keyamo said that the suspension is temporary, with authorities instructed to go back to the drawing board and redesign a more efficient electronic payment solution that will reduce congestion without causing hardship for travellers. A hybrid system permitting both cash and digital payments may be introduced while better platforms are developed, he added.

The decision underscores the government’s sensitivity to public complaints and the practical challenges of implementing digitised systems in high-traffic environments and signals a continued effort to balance modernisation with convenience for airport users nationwide.