FAAN's Cashless Toll System Causes Traffic Chaos at Lagos Airport

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) enforced a new cashless payment system for vehicles entering Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, which led to severe traffic disruptions and stranded hundreds of motorists and air passengers. The initiative, aimed at blocking revenue leakages and enhancing transparency, resulted in prolonged gridlock, with some motorists spending nearly 20 minutes at the tollgate instead of the usual few minutes.

Henri Agbebir, FAAN's Director of Public Affairs, explained that the cashless system is part of a broader federal government push towards a cashless economy. However, Adebayo Awojobi expressed frustration over the situation, noting that traffic worsened on weekends and that the agency appeared unprepared for the volume of users.

Complaints included inadequate public sensitization about the new policy and delays in electronic payment confirmations. Despite these issues, FAAN maintained that sufficient access cards were available for motorists, with a one-time loading fee of N2,000 and a maintenance fee of N500.