As part of measures to tackle financial leakages, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has adopted digital payment system.

The development is also designed to ease payment, create payment options and improve its speed and convenience.

The General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu explained on Wednesday that all necessary arrangements had been made for the smooth take off of the exercise, which would be carried out in all the airports across the country. The new initiative is expected to commence in the next few weeks.

She expressed that the transactions would be made in different ways such as Point of Sales (POS), money transfers and others.

She stressed that Remita Agents have already been positioned strategically at various points across the airports to ensure the fruitful commencement of the new platform.

She explained that the initiative was designed under the Presidential Enabling Environment Business Council (PEBEC), which is aimed at ensuring convenience and curbing corruption, adding that identifying car parks, cargo section, chartered and unscheduled flights among others would also be affected by the introduction.

Yakubu noted the decision to adopt digital payment was as a result of the success of the Executive Order of the Federal Government, which commenced last June.

She explained that it was to ensure that those doing business at the airports were not harassed but furnished accurate information on what and where to pay at every point in time.

She said: “It will help FAAN to eliminate leakages and further increase revenue base of the organisation. No government official will handle cash during transactions when the exercise takes off. We are soliciting the cooperation of all airport users, concessionaires and the general public to ensure a hitch free exercise initiative.”

According to Yakubu, visa on arrival, which has commenced at the airport was part of the Ease of Doing Business adding that the digital payment was another feat to be achieved.

Yakubu insisted that at the end, the new policy of FAAN would be a win – win situation for the agency and its clients, stressing that the agency had been repositioned to provide more improved services for customers.