FAAN issues 70,000 cards as cashless airport rollout eases traffic

By Goli Innocent

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has issued more than 70,000 Go Cashless cards in a bid to calm the chaos that followed the enforcement of its new cashless policy at airports nationwide.

The move comes days after long queues and missed flights marred the March 1 rollout.

FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, apologised to passengers who were caught in the gridlock.

“First, I should start by apologising. We express our profound apology for the distress some of our road users and passengers have gone through in the last two days,” he said on ARISE NEWS.

He assured travellers that the situation had already improved and would stabilise within days.

According to him, although the agency began sensitisation in October 2025 and onboarded about 30,000 users before the deadline, many Nigerians waited until enforcement day.

“When the deadline came, March 1 was a no-go-back date. Suddenly, the pressure was heavy,” he explained, noting that another 40,000 cards were issued within three days of implementation.

Agbebire said the Go Cashless card remains the fastest option at access gates, though debit cards, E-tags and VIP E-tags are also available.

He admitted that POS payments are slower and contributed to traffic build-up at airport entrances, especially in Lagos and Abuja.

He advised passengers to arrive earlier than usual for flights.

“When you’re travelling internationally, you should get to the airport three hours before departure.

“Now, we are advising people to consider adding another 30 minutes or one hour so you don’t miss your flight,” he said, stressing that customer experience remains a priority for the authority.

The cashless directive, backed by the Central Bank of Nigeria and implemented in partnership with Paystack, ends physical cash payments at toll gates, car parks and lounges.

FAAN insists the system will make transactions faster and more transparent, with projections that revenue could rise by as much as 75 per cent once compliance improves.