The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced that cash will no longer be accepted at any of its pay points, including access gates, car parks, and executive lounges, starting Sunday, March 1.
The disclosure was contained in a statement from FAAN on Friday.
The move forms part of FAAN’s “Go Cashless” initiative, which aims to make all airport transactions faster, safer, and fully digital.
What FAAN is saying
According to the statement, all passengers and airport visitors are required to make payments digitally at FAAN-controlled airports. This includes entry through access gates, parking fees at car parks, and charges for executive and VIP lounge services.
FAAN emphasized that the initiative aligns with the directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to encourage cashless transactions across public services.
- “In line with the directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria, effective March 1st, 2026, cash will no longer be accepted at any FAAN pay point. That means at all our international and local airports—from access gates to car parks, and executive lounge entries—every transaction must be digital,” the statement read in part.
- Passengers are advised to collect their cards at access gates and lounges to take advantage of the “Tap and Go” system, which allows them to complete transactions quickly and avoid queues.
- The authority also reassured travelers that the cashless system is secure and designed to improve convenience.
Passengers or visitors with inquiries can visit any FAAN information desk at the airports or access further details on the official FAAN website, www.faan.ng.
Get up to speed
FAAN had earlier launched the initial phase of contactless payments in September 2025 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.
- The rollout was part of a phased plan to gradually implement the system across all FAAN-controlled airports by the first quarter of 2026.
- These two airports were chosen for the pilot due to their high traffic volumes, with more than 300,000 vehicles passing through access gates monthly at both MMIA and NAIA.
- FAAN also highlighted that VIP lounges at the two airports serve thousands of travelers annually.
The early rollout aimed to phase out cash at key FAAN revenue points, including access gates, car parks, and VIP/protocol lounges, while preparing for nationwide adoption.
What you should know
The initiative, branded “Operation Go Cashless,” is in partnership with Paystack, a leading digital payments company.
- FAAN projected that the system would modernize airport operations, improve efficiency, and boost accountability.
- At the pilot stage in Lagos and Abuja, FAAN expected a 50% increase in revenue collection, rising to 75% as more points were integrated, with a broader goal of tripling revenue within one year of full implementation.
The partnership with Paystack provided contactless terminals at access gates, car parks, and lounges, with payments processed instantly via NFC-enabled cards.
The system eliminates human handling of cash, reducing opportunities for leakages and speeding up passenger flow.
The cashless system is expected to improve service quality significantly in these high-traffic areas.
