President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the suspension of the recently introduced cashless payment system at Nigerian airports. The directive followed complaints that its implementation led to severe traffic gridlock and hardship, especially for air travellers. Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo made this known to reporters after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja yesterday. Keyamo explained that the cashless system was initially introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to eliminate corruption and improve revenue collection for the Federal Government, replacing a decades-old practice of cash payments. He said: “The first one has to do with the present cashless system we introduced at our toll gates across the country to eliminate corruption and optimise revenue for the Federal Government. “You recall that this practice had gone on for more than 50 years, where operators of the toll gates collect cash from motorists at points of collection across the country, mostly at toll gates and other points like parking lots.” However, the minister noted that less than a week after the introduction of the cashless system, it began to create serious congestion around airport access roads, particularly in Lagos and Abuja.