Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reaffirmed that the country’s airports will transition fully to a cashless payment system, stating that the federal government has no plans to reverse the policy despite the temporary use of a hybrid payment arrangement.
The minister made the remarks during an on-the-spot assessment of the hybrid payment system at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport tollgate in Abuja.
Keyamo explained that the current hybrid system, which allows both cash and electronic payments, is only a temporary measure while authorities prepare to move to a fully automated platform. According to him, the arrangement was introduced to ensure a smooth transition while technical and operational aspects of the digital payment system are fully implemented.
He emphasised that the government’s goal is to eliminate cash transactions at airport revenue points and directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to ensure that digital payments are cheaper than cash transactions in order to encourage travellers and airport users to adopt the system.
According to the minister, the policy aligns with a federal government directive requiring government agencies to stop collecting physical cash.
“There is no going back on the cashless system. For those who think they can frustrate the cashless system because they prefer the traditional cash collection method, we have passed that stage,” Keyamo said.
He further explained that the directive is part of broader efforts by the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to promote transparency, improve revenue collection and reduce the risk of financial leakages in public institutions.
“In fact, there is a federal government directive on it saying that no federal agency should ever collect cash. So we have very limited time to do this hybrid system,” he added.
The minister also revealed that President Tinubu has given him a strict deadline to implement the fully cashless system across airports nationwide.
“We are going to go cashless. In fact, at the last Federal Executive Council meeting, Mr. President gave me a deadline. He was very clear that I have a deadline,” Keyamo said.
He stressed that the directive from the president means that all relevant agencies must accelerate the transition process to meet the timeline set by the federal government.
Keyamo added that the responsibility for meeting the deadline extends to all officials and institutions involved in implementing the policy.
“He said, ‘Minister of Aviation, you have a deadline to go fully cashless,’ and the moment Mr. President pushes me, I will also push those under me,” he said.
The minister also issued a warning that officials responsible for implementing the policy would be held accountable if there are delays in the transition process.
“Before Mr. President sacks me, I will sack other people too,” he said, underscoring his determination to ensure that the directive is carried out without obstruction.
Keyamo noted that although the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria had previously been responsible for implementing the payment system, he has now taken direct oversight of the process in order to accelerate progress.
“Before now, I left implementation fully to FAAN and the nitty-gritties were worked out by FAAN, but as the Minister, I take full responsibility and I have to take full control,” he said.
He explained that taking direct control of the implementation would enable the ministry to address technical challenges more quickly and ensure that the transition to digital payments proceeds without unnecessary delays.
According to him, the cashless policy is expected to modernise airport operations, improve efficiency at tollgates and other revenue points, and reduce opportunities for corruption associated with cash handling.
The minister also stated that the introduction of the hybrid system at the Abuja airport tollgate was designed to allow airport users time to adjust to the new digital payment framework before the full transition takes effect.
However, he emphasised that the hybrid system will only remain in place for a limited period as the government works toward a completely digital payment structure across Nigeria’s airports.
Once fully implemented, all payments at airport facilities — including tollgate charges and other service fees — are expected to be processed electronically through approved digital platforms.
The policy is part of the federal government’s broader effort to digitise public sector services and align Nigeria’s aviation industry with international best practices in airport management and financial accountability.
Keyamo concluded by reiterating that the transition to a cashless system is inevitable and that all stakeholders must cooperate with the government to ensure its successful implementation across the country’s airport facilities.
