Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the immediate suspension of Very Important Persons (VIP) privileges at airport access tollgates as part of efforts to enforce the reinstated cashless and hybrid payment policy across the country’s airports.

Keyamo announced the directive on Friday during an on-the-spot assessment of the hybrid payment system at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

The minister said the decision was necessary to curb revenue leakages, noting that the widespread practice of allowing VIPs to bypass toll payments had significantly affected government earnings.

“We must not do VIP here again because half of our revenue goes to VIP. Everybody is a big man in Abuja; that’s the problem. There’s hardly anybody you see in Abuja who doesn’t have ‘FG’ printed on their business card, whether SA, SSA, or SSTTA,” Keyamo said.

He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to implementing the cashless payment policy introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), stressing that there would be no reversal of the initiative.

“There is no going back on the cashless system. We are going to go cashless. In fact, at the last Federal Executive Council meeting, Mr. President gave me a deadline. He was very clear that I have a deadline to go fully cashless,” the minister stated.

Keyamo added that he would ensure strict compliance within the aviation sector, warning that officials who fail to meet the directive could face sanctions.

He explained that although FAAN had initially been responsible for the implementation of the system, he had now decided to personally supervise the process to ensure effective execution.

The Federal Government had earlier announced the introduction of a cashless payment policy at Nigerian airports beginning March 1, 2026. However, the rollout caused significant traffic congestion at airport access gates, prompting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order a temporary suspension of the policy.

Authorities subsequently adopted a hybrid payment system, allowing both electronic and limited cash transactions while infrastructure and operational challenges are addressed.