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Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has assured airport users that the Federal Government remains committed to fully transitioning to a cashless toll payment system at the tollgate of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
Keyamo gave the assurance after visiting the airport tollgate in Abuja to personally monitor the implementation of a temporary hybrid payment arrangement introduced to address traffic congestion previously experienced at the facility.
According to a statement signed by Margaret Oyinboade, Head of Press and Public Affairs at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the minister expressed satisfaction with the improved vehicular movement at the tollgate following the introduction of the hybrid system.
“I have observed that the traffic is now flowing freely and this is because of the implementation of the hybrid system that we have decided to adopt,” Keyamo said.
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He explained that the Federal Government had earlier directed the suspension of the strict enforcement of the cashless payment system after commuters experienced significant traffic gridlock during its initial rollout.
According to him, the hybrid system, allowing both electronic card payments and limited cash transactions was introduced as an interim measure to ease traffic while ensuring continued revenue collection.
Keyamo noted that commuters who had already purchased electronic access cards would continue to use them, with payments made directly into the government’s Treasury Single Account (TSA).
However, a limited number of users are temporarily permitted to make cash payments until the full transition to a cashless system is completed.
Despite the temporary measure, the minister stressed that the government remains firmly committed to a fully automated cashless toll payment structure.
“There is no going back to the cashless system. There is a Federal Government directive that no agency should collect cash, and we have a limited time to run this hybrid arrangement before migrating fully to cashless payment,” he said.
Keyamo further disclosed that the ministry is currently engaging concessionaires to deploy automated electronic tollgate infrastructure capable of processing payments seamlessly and remitting revenues directly to the TSA.
He added that a sub-committee has already been constituted to review proposals submitted by potential concessionaires before presenting a business case to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval.
The minister also highlighted the need for improved infrastructure around the tollgate area to support the transition, including the creation of layover and detour points for vehicles unable to complete payment immediately, expansion of the tollgate space, installation of clear traffic signage, and deployment of standby towing vehicles to promptly remove broken-down vehicles.
Keyamo reiterated the government’s position against preferential passage at tollgates, noting that full automation would eliminate the culture of VIP exemptions.
“When the system becomes fully automated, everyone will interact directly with the machine. Whether you are a big man or not, you must pay before the barrier opens,” he stated.
He commended the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria for initiating the move toward a cashless tollgate system and directed that incentives be introduced to encourage commuters to adopt the electronic access cards.
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Keyamo also assured Nigerians that the ministry would soon launch a comprehensive public sensitisation campaign to prepare airport users for the transition to a fully automated tollgate system.
Also speaking, Adebola Joy Agunbiade, Director of Commercial and Business Development at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, explained that the earlier traffic gridlock experienced at the tollgate was largely caused by the unbundling process associated with the initial rollout of the cashless payment system.
Source: Businessday.ng | Read the Full Story…
