There was confusion and serious gridlock at the entrance of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Sunday as the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), began total cashless operations at the airport.
Motorists, who did not have the required card for payments were left stranded and confused after they were denied entrance due until they get the card.
LEADERSHIP investigation showed that despite the continued campaign and enlightenment since 2025, so many motorists did not know about the cashless payment at the entrance of the airport.
One of the motorists, John Ameh, who spoke to our correspondent at the airport, said he never knew he was to get the card for payments.
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According to him, "I have been plying this route everyday and I hear of cashless but I didn't know it would start from the entrance gate."
Meanwhile, FAAN has apologised for the hardship the situation must have caused and called for cooperation and understanding among motorists.
According to a statement posted on the FAAN social media handle, the Authority said: "The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to sincerely appreciate all motorists and airport users as the FAAN Go Cashless Programme officially comes into full operation today at the access gates of the MMIA and the NAIA in alignment with the federal government's directive on cashless transactions.
"We acknowledge the traffic build-up experienced at the access gates today. Despite the wide publicity, notices, and repeated announcements issued ahead of the commencement date, a significant number of motorists opted to register for their Go Cashless cards at the gates this morning. This understandably created pressure on the toll lanes and resulted in temporary gridlock.
"While some initial adjustment challenges were anticipated, as with any major system transition, the Authority had provided ample notice to encourage early registration and avoid congestion on day one.
That said, FAAN remains deeply empathetic to the inconvenience experienced."
On the immediate solution, FAAN said "to ease the situation, we have deployed additional personnel to the access gates; increased registration points to fast-track first-time card issuance and enhanced on-ground coordination to improve traffic flow.
"We appeal for your patience, understanding, and cooperation as we work diligently to stabilise and streamline the process. This transition is designed to deliver long-term benefits -- faster processing, improved transparency, reduced cash handling risks, and a more efficient airport environment for all.
"We therefore urge all motorists who are yet to obtain their Go Cashless cards to take advantage of the expanded registration support being provided and to plan ahead for subsequent visits.
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Together, with your cooperation, we will make this process seamless.
FAAN remains committed to providing a safe, efficient, and world-class airport experience."
