Major traffic congestion disrupted access to Nigeria’s two busiest airports on Sunday as motorists rushed to register for newly introduced cashless entry cards. The initiative, known as Go-Cashless and championed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, bars drivers from making cash payments at airport gates. Authorities say the policy is designed to promote digital financial transactions and modernise payment systems.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has indicated that the transition to a cashless model will accelerate vehicle processing, improve transparency and strengthen operational efficiency at airport facilities.
However, the official commencement of registration on Sunday saw a surge of motorists at Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, leading to significant gridlock along access routes.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, FAAN acknowledged the traffic build-up, noting that despite extensive public notices and announcements ahead of the launch, many motorists chose to register at the gates on the first day.
To ease the congestion, the authority said it had deployed additional personnel, expanded registration points and strengthened on-ground coordination to ensure smoother processing in the coming days.