Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reaffirmed that the country’s airports will fully transition to a cashless payment system, stating that the federal government has no intention of reversing the policy.
Keyamo made the remarks during an inspection of the hybrid payment system at the tollgate of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
According to the minister, the current hybrid arrangement—which allows both cash and electronic payments—is only a temporary measure while authorities prepare to move to a fully automated digital platform.
He explained that the government’s objective is to completely eliminate cash transactions at airport revenue points. He also directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to ensure that digital payments remain cheaper than cash transactions to encourage wider adoption by airport users.
Keyamo noted that the initiative aligns with a federal government directive that prohibits government agencies from collecting physical cash.
“There is no going back on the cashless system. For those who think they can frustrate the cashless system because they prefer the traditional cash collection method, we have passed that stage,” the minister said.
He added that the directive requires all federal agencies to discontinue cash collections entirely.
“In fact, there is a federal government directive on it saying that no federal agency should ever collect cash. So we have very limited time to do this hybrid system,” he said.
The minister also revealed that Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given him a deadline to ensure the full implementation of the policy across Nigerian airports.
“At the last Federal Executive Council meeting, Mr. President gave me a deadline. He was very clear that I have a deadline,” Keyamo said.
He warned that officials responsible for implementing the system would be held accountable if the transition is delayed.
“Before Mr. President sacks me, I will sack other people too,” the minister added.
Keyamo further explained that although the implementation was previously handled by FAAN, he has now assumed direct oversight of the process to ensure it is completed within the stipulated timeframe.
He stressed that the hybrid system currently in place will remain only for a short period as the government moves toward a fully digital payment framework across Nigeria’s airport facilities.
