- FAAN’s cashless toll payment policy took full effect, eliminating cash transactions at airport gates
- The rollout triggered severe traffic congestion around Lagos and Abuja airport access roads
- The agency has deployed additional staff and set up on-site registration points to ease the situation
Oluwatobi Odeyinka is a business editor at Legit.ng, covering energy, the money market, technology and macroeconomic trends in Nigeria.
Air travellers and motorists experienced heavy traffic around the Lagos airport corridor on Monday following the enforcement of a cashless toll payment system by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), The SUN reported.
Source: Getty Images
The gridlock, which stretched across major access roads leading to the airport, reportedly caused some passengers to miss their flights, while businesses in the area recorded reduced patronage due to the slow movement of vehicles.
Cashless policy takes full effect
FAAN’s “Go Cashless” policy officially took effect on Sunday, March 1, 2026, barring cash payments at all airport toll gates. Under the new arrangement, motorists are required to either purchase a FAAN payment card or use their debit cards to pay toll fees.
However, the rollout led to significant delays as many drivers were unable to complete payments promptly, resulting in a buildup of vehicles around the toll gates.
A motorist who spoke with Daily Sun said he spent about two and a half hours in traffic.
According to him, the congestion began near a fuel station along the airport road and persisted up to the toll gate. He added that some passengers abandoned their vehicles and resorted to commercial motorcycles to avoid missing their flights, despite restrictions on such operations within the airport vicinity.
The motorist expressed concerns about the preparedness of the authorities, suggesting that more toll gates and improved infrastructure were needed to support a fully cashless system.
Similar situation experienced in Abuja
A similar gridlock was experienced by travellers and motorists at the Abuja airport, as passengers expressed their frustrations on social media.
An X user, @alphanumerex, wrote:
“If you’re travelling through Abuja airport today better leave three hours before your flight. There’s mad traffic at the toll gate.”
Source: Getty Images
FAAN explains delay
Responding to the development, FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs, Henry Agbebire, attributed the disruption largely to motorists who waited until the last minute to obtain the required payment cards.
He explained that the policy was in line with a federal government directive mandating all revenue-generating agencies to discontinue cash transactions. According to him, FAAN introduced the payment card about six months ago and carried out public sensitisation campaigns, particularly in Lagos and Abuja.
Agbebire acknowledged the severity of the traffic congestion but said officials were deployed to manage the situation.
To address the immediate challenges, he disclosed that FAAN set up two on-the-spot registration centres near the toll area to enable motorists to obtain and activate their cards. Most vehicles were reportedly diverted to these points to ease pressure at the gates.
He added that additional staff would be deployed to the toll area to assist motorists with registration and activation processes, while reiterating that the cashless system would remain in place.
FAAN also issued a public statement apologising for the inconvenience caused to road users.
FAAN revises cargo charge increase
Legit.ng earlier reported that FAAN was pressured into reducing its proposed increase in cargo port charges at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, from N20 to N15 per kilogram.
The agency had initially proposed a rise from N7 to N20 per kilogram, while air cargo fees were to increase from N5 to N15 per kilogram.
However, the planned increases faced resistance from cargo agents, who warned that higher charges could hurt the cargo business and have wider implications for trade and related sectors across the country.
Source: Legit.ng
