According to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, airports nationwide would continue to accept cashless payments.
Olubunmi Kuku, the authority’s managing director, reportedly told reporters at the airport on Thursday that the policy is still in effect because it was decided by the government.
The problems that travelers encountered in the early stages of the deployment are already being addressed, she said.
She claims that the Federal Executive Council and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development had conversations prior to the policy’s instruction.
She explained that the council encouraged the agency to enhance the system’s implementation in order to provide airport patrons with a more seamless experience, rather than canceling it.
There had previously been claims that the policy was discontinued due to issues at the airport gates, particularly at the entry to the aerodrome, where many travelers had trouble using the new system.
However, Kuku stated that the council did not completely halt the process; rather, it just instructed the agency to modify it prior to full execution.
According to the authorities, the shift to electronic payments did not happen overnight.
In order to educate airport patrons about the shift from cash to digital payments, preparations for the policy started months ago.
Last year, she continued, there were public education efforts that included messages disseminated via the National Orientation Agency and other communication channels.
The head of FAAN clarified that a directive authorized by the Federal Executive Council of the Federal Government led to the introduction of the policy.
She claimed that although the agency had initially recommended implementing the system gradually, they were later given a deadline to start.
Additionally, FAAN stated that it first suggested a transition plan that would permit cash and electronic payments to function simultaneously as travelers got used to the new system.
The agency reiterated its support for the program while praising President Bola Tinubu’s method of examining the introduction of government policies.
The authority claims that the choice to permit enhancements prior to a full rollout demonstrates an attempt to guarantee that the system functions correctly for airport consumers.
The organization insisted that despite maintaining the cashless policy at Nigerian airports, it will keep working to improve the payment procedure.
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