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Nigeria’s aviation sector may soon witness a major shift in how airport access fees are collected, as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has vowed to end the long-standing culture of VIPs bypassing payment at airport gates.
The minister disclosed that a large portion of revenue meant for airport operations is lost because influential individuals routinely drive through airport entry points without paying the required charges.
Keyamo made the revelation at the weekend during an inspection of the access gates at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, where he assessed the performance of the newly introduced hybrid payment system.
According to him, the practice of allowing government officials and politically connected individuals to pass through airport gates free of charge has been entrenched for years and has significantly undermined revenue generation in the aviation sector.
“We must not do VIP here again because half of our revenue goes to VIPs that are just passing without paying,” he said.
The minister noted that the situation reflects a broader culture within the nation’s capital where many people claim official status and expect privileges.
“Ministers like us, national assembly members, members of all kinds of agencies, everybody is a big man in Abuja, in Nigeria. That’s the problem.
“There is hardly anybody you see in Abuja that does not have a federal government logo printed on their business card. “Whether SSA, SSSA, TTTTA, and they will all want to come and pass free at the airports.
“Everybody is a big man in Abuja and I say no, we can’t do that.”
Keyamo said the move to tighten revenue collection is part of broader reforms aimed at improving transparency and financial accountability in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
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He explained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the aviation ministry to ensure the sector transitions to a fully cashless payment structure.
The minister admitted that he initially left the implementation of the system to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), but decided to personally inspect the process after observing operational challenges.
“That is why I am here today to take my own fate into my hands to see how they are implementing the hybrid system,” he said.
Currently, airports are operating a hybrid payment system that allows both cash and electronic payments. The arrangement was introduced after concerns were raised about the earlier attempt to fully eliminate cash payments at airport gates.
Despite the temporary arrangement, Keyamo stressed that the aviation sector would ultimately move to a completely digital system.
“But guess what, this will not last because it breeds corruption for us to continue to collect cash. I will not allow it,” the minister said.
“It has been happening for the last 50 years that FAAN collects cash in all their points and some people are used to that corrupt system.”
The development follows a directive issued by Tinubu on March 4 instructing FAAN to suspend the controversial cashless policy after it triggered traffic congestion at airports across the country.
Following the president’s order, Keyamo directed FAAN to revert temporarily to cash collection while maintaining a hybrid system to accommodate users who already possess FAAN access cards.
Even so, the minister insisted that the long-term goal remains clear: a transparent, cashless system that eliminates leakages and ensures airports generate the revenue needed to maintain infrastructure and improve services.
