The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said the full enforcement of electronic payment systems across the country’s airports is aimed at plugging revenue leakages and improving remittances to the Federal Government.
Olubunmi Kuku, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FAAN, disclosed this on Tuesday after appearing before the Federal House of Representatives Committee on Finance, which is conducting a revenue monitoring exercise covering the 2023 to 2025 fiscal years.
The Committee, chaired by James Faleke, is reviewing the revenue performance of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in a bid to strengthen accountability and ensure proper remittances into government coffers.
Kuku explained that the enforcement of a cashless regime forms part of the federal government’s broader fiscal reform agenda to eliminate financial leakages, deepen transparency and improve internally generated revenue across MDAs.
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“This initiative is about accountability and sustainability. We are ensuring that every kobo due to the Federal Government is collected without leakages, while also improving operational efficiency,” she said.
She added that the transition to a fully cashless system did not begin abruptly, noting that preparatory steps, including public sensitisation campaigns, advertisements and stakeholder engagements, commenced in mid-2025 to prepare airport users for the shift from cash transactions to electronic payments.
The MD assured that the traffic congestion at some airport toll gates is a temporary adjustment phase and appealed to Nigerians for patience and cooperation as more users adopt the available electronic payment channels.
“We understand the initial discomfort, but this is a transition that will ultimately benefit everyone,” she said.
She dismissed suggestions that FAAN-issued cashless cards are the only payment option under the new regime, stressing that the policy merely eliminates physical cash transactions and does not restrict users to a single platform.
Thr FAAN Boss informed that four primary payment options are currently available at airport toll gates including: annual e-tags for frequent users, VIP stickers for approved users, personal bank ATM cards including contactless or NFC-enabled cards, and FAAN-issued cashless cards obtainable within airport premises and through designated partner banks.
Kuku encouraged travellers to check with their banks for contactless or NFC-enabled ATM cards, noting that tap-and-go transactions significantly reduce processing time compared with traditional PIN-based cards. She also confirmed that widely used domestic payment cards, including Verve cards, are compatible with the system.
She added that improved revenue capture would strengthen service delivery, support infrastructure maintenance and accelerate airport modernisation projects nationwide.
