In response to major traffic disruptions experienced at Nigerian airports, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced the introduction of a hybrid payment system that will allow both cash and card payments at access gates. This decision was made following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who previously suspended the fully cashless payment system due to its inefficiencies that led to long queues and traffic gridlock at airport entry points.

The new measures were revealed in a statement from Tunde Moshood, the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister, after a crucial meeting with officials from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. The implementation of this hybrid system is intended to ensure smoother access to the airports and alleviate travel frustrations that passengers have faced. The earlier cashless exclusive system had been criticized for creating bottlenecks, thereby making travel inconvenient during peak periods.

Keyamo’s directive comes as a significant response to passenger complaints and logistical challenges. With the hybrid payment system, officials hope to strike a balance between modernizing airport payment processes and maintaining efficient operations without causing further delays. This change is part of a broader effort to improve the travel experience in Nigeria and could also have implications for the future of cashless services in public spaces across the country.