**Airport Chaos averted: Tinubu's Intervention Saves the Day** Nigerian air travelers have a reason to smile as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has temporarily ditched its plan to go fully digital with payments at airport toll gates. This decision comes hot on the heels of a directive from President Bola Tinubu, aimed at easing the implementation of the cashless policy across airports. The Managing Director of FAAN, Olubunmi Kuku, revealed that the authority had hit a snag in its transition to a cashless system. Commuters and travelers suffered significant delays at airport entrances as the rollout struggled to gain traction. Mrs Kuku said the president's intervention was like a breath of fresh air for the aviation industry. In a bid to ease the transition, FAAN is now adopting a hybrid payment system. This means that travelers can still use their cash, while the digital payment option remains available. According to Mrs Kuku, this temporary reprieve was granted by President Tinubu to allow the authority to refine its process and ensure that more users are onboarded. Interestingly, many passengers and commuters were unaware that the authority would strictly enforce the cashless toll payments from March 1st. FAAN had, however, made significant progress in enrolling users on its platform, with over 100,000 registrations between October 2025 and March 3rd. While the initial rollout was not without its challenges, the authority recorded a success rate of about 99 per cent with the cashless cards deployed. With this temporary reprieve, FAAN plans to use the additional time to enhance public awareness, onboard more private technology partners, and strengthen checks and balances to prevent any further disruptions. For now, the hybrid payment system at our airports is a welcome relief for Nigerian air travelers. It's a testament to the president's commitment to addressing the concerns of the traveling public and ensuring a seamless experience at our airports. As we wait for the refinement of the digital payment process, we can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that our airport experience will be less chaotic than initially anticipated.