The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Friday visited the access gates at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport to assess the operational performance of the newly introduced hybrid payment system for vehicles entering the airport.
The visit followed the ministry’s directive restoring the hybrid payment arrangement, which allows both cash and electronic payments. The decision came after the earlier suspension of the fully cashless access gate system, as directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
During the inspection, the minister monitored traffic flow at the gates and interacted with officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria responsible for implementing the new arrangement. He expressed satisfaction with the improved vehicular movement recorded since the introduction of the hybrid payment option.
Keyamo commended the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, and the agency’s team for making swift operational adjustments aimed at easing congestion and improving access to the airport.
He explained that the hybrid payment system is an interim measure while the ministry continues discussions with concessionaires to deploy a fully automated and electronic access gate system across airports in the country.
The minister also disclosed that additional operational improvements are under consideration, including the introduction of dedicated lanes for cash payments to further reduce traffic build-up at the gates.
The inspection, he said, reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring efficient airport access, reducing congestion, and improving the travel experience for airport users.
