Traffic around the tollgate leading to the Murtala Muhammed Airport was thrown into chaos on Sunday after the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) commenced enforcement of a new cashless payment policy for vehicles accessing the airport.
The move resulted in heavy gridlock, with hundreds of motorists and air travelers left stranded as traffic to and from both the domestic and international terminals slowed significantly.
Confirming the change, FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, stated that the cashless system was introduced to curb revenue leakages and improve transparency within the toll collection process.
The congestion forced some air travellers to abandon their vehicles and resort to motorcycles in a desperate bid to catch their flights. Commercial motorcyclists, despite existing restrictions, took advantage of the situation, reportedly hiking fares by as much as 200 per cent.
Several motorists were observed spending close to 20 minutes at the tollgate for trips that would normally take less than a minute, further compounding frustration at the access point, which serves as a major route into the airport complex.
Some drivers were also seen engaging toll officials in heated exchanges over failed electronic transfers and delays in payment confirmation.
Many accused FAAN of causing avoidable confusion, arguing that the agency did not adequately sensitise the public before rolling out the policy.
One of the affected motorists, Adebayo Awojobi, lamented the situation, saying he had been stuck in traffic for nearly an hour. He expressed concern over how much worse the situation could become on a weekday, adding that officials on ground appeared unprepared for the volume of users.
However, Agbebire dismissed claims of inadequate public awareness, maintaining that the enforcement aligns with the Federal Government’s broader push towards a cashless economy. He said the system is designed to curb extortion, enhance transparency and boost FAAN’s revenue profile.
The spokesman attributed the chaos partly to users who, according to him, delayed compliance until the last minute. He added that FAAN had sufficient access cards available for motorists.
“The card itself is issued free of charge, but once it is loaded with N2,000 or N1,000, a maintenance fee of N500 is deducted,” Agbebire explained.
