FAAN Cashless Toll Causes Traffic Chaos at Lagos Airport

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) introduce a new cashless payment system for vehicles entering the airport premises due to heavy congestion around the tollgate of Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

Hundreds of drivers and airline passengers were caught in the disruption, which slowed traffic both into and out of the airport.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at FAAN, Henry Agbebire, explained that the cashless initiative was introduced to eliminate revenue leakages within the system.

Some travellers were forced to abandon their cars and switch to motorcycles to avoid missing their scheduled flights.

Meanwhile, commercial motorcyclists — despite existing restrictions — took advantage of the situation, charging fares that rose by nearly 200 per cent from the usual rates for stranded passengers.

Several motorists remained stationary for nearly 20 minutes while attempting to cover a distance that normally takes less than a minute.

The tollgate remains a key entry point linking both the domestic and international terminals of the Lagos airport.

Observations showed that a number of drivers engaged tollgate staff in heated disputes over unsuccessful transfers and delays in confirming payments.

They blamed FAAN for the confusion and hold-ups at the terminal, arguing that the agency failed to adequately inform the public before rolling out the new system.

One of the affected motorists, Adebayo Awojobi, said: “I have been in this traffic for almost an hour. Today (yesterday) is Sunday.How will the traffic here be tomorrow (today)? The officials of the agency here said it was strictly cashless, but they were not prepared for the crowd.”

However, FAAN spokesperson Henry Agbebire maintained that the enforcement aligns with the Federal Government’s push toward a cashless economy.

He stressed that the policy would help minimise leakages, reduce extortion, and boost the agency’s revenue generation.

Agbebire also dismissed claims that FAAN failed to properly publicise the new payment system.

He further attributed the disruption to some airport users who delayed taking the necessary steps until the last minute.

According to him, the agency made sufficient cards available for motorists using the route.

“The card is free, but when you load your N2,000 or N1,000, there is a N500 that goes off for maintenance,” he said.