FAAN Issues 70,000 Go Cashless Cards To Reduce Airport Congestion

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it has issued over 70,000 Go Cashless cards as part of efforts to ease congestion and stabilise operations following challenges that accompanied the rollout of its nationwide cashless payment policy at airports.

Speaking with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, the director of public affairs and consumer protection, Henry Agbebire, acknowledged the initial difficulties and apologised to passengers affected.

“I think 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.

“But the good news is we had to mitigate and make efforts to ensure that the pressure right now has reduced a bit. Things got better today, and we are hoping that in a few days’ time, just a few days from now, things will normalise,” he assured.

Agbebire also highlighted the scale of adoption so far, “But interestingly, as I speak to you, we’ve done over 70,000 total cards, and gradually we believe the tension will go down as the government’s Go Cashless program becomes more aggressively recognised and utilised,” he clarified.

He explained that while FAAN began sensitisation and card onboarding as far back as October last year, many passengers delayed registration until the enforcement date, resulting in congestion at airport gates.

“To put a context to this, we started sometime in October last year to sensitise people. We launched what we call the Go Cashless card at FAAN. From that point on, we started sensitising, advertising, and onboarding people.

“Between October last year and the 28th of February, we had on-boarded about 30,000 cards. But it looked like a lot of people, as is typical in Nigeria, wait for the last minute. When the deadline came, because this is a Federal Government directive, March 1st was a no-go-back date.

“Suddenly, we had to roll out, and the pressure was heavy. A lot of people on the road that day had not registered. So, we deployed people to register them to get a card. That was a problem. We gave other options, but unfortunately, that is what it is, and we found ourselves in this situation,” he explained.

According to Agbebire, the rush intensified immediately after the policy took effect, with tens of thousands registering within days.

“And interestingly, in the last three days, we have on-boarded another 40,000.”

He noted that although four payment options are available, the Go Cashless card remains the fastest and most efficient at airport access gates.

“There are several options four of them, actually. But the ’Go Cashless’ card is the simplest and easiest. That’s why we on-boarded that quite early, so we had enough time for people to get a card. Now, it is contactless. When you get to the access gate, you need the bars to open as fast as possible. When we on-boarded the card, we felt it was the fastest, and we had to ensure we promoted that regularly.

“However, passengers or road users can also use their debit cards. The debit card is slightly slower; it could take a minute or two at the PoS, and that could lead to traffic buildup. But we also encourage people to get their E-tags. You can get it for a year, and that could give you access straight away when you get to the access gate.

“We also have what we call the VIP E-tags for vehicles that are regular in that area; they are registered and can also use that. So, in the absence of the Go Cashless card, you can use your E-tag or your ATM/debit card. Like I said, that is slower, and that’s why we have the slow pace.”

FAAN expects traffic conditions to improve significantly within a week and has advised travellers to allow extra time before departure.

“We are quite hopeful, probably in a week. But I must say this: we’ve issued regular travel advisories. To a large extent, it’s typical that when you’re travelling internationally, you should get to the airport three hours before the time.

“We’ve had to advise that people please put into consideration another 30 minutes, maybe one hour, so you don’t miss your flight. We are very concerned about such passengers because we are a transforming organisation and customer experience is key for us. Whatever we are doing, we are ensuring that what is necessary is being done and we are working towards this,” he said.

FAAN’s Go Cashless policy, which took effect on March 1, 2026, ends cash payments at airport toll gates, car parks, and executive lounges in line with directives from the Central Bank of Nigeria. The initiative, launched in partnership with Paystack, was first announced in September 2025 and began at major airports in Lagos and Abuja.

The Authority explained that the new system is intended to speed up transactions, make payments safer and more convenient, enhance transparency, and boost revenue by reducing the handling of cash.