Nigeria’s Airport Toll Losses Reach Billions, Keyamo Unveils Reform

In a recent revelation by Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, it was disclosed that the country’s federal government suffered a staggering loss of 82%, equivalent to N10 billion, in revenue due to outdated airport tollgate regulations. Keyamo highlighted this concerning issue during a press briefing following a Federal Executive Council meeting.

The minister expressed deep concern over the widespread distribution of complimentary e-tags to VIPs, accounting for 82% of all issued tags. This policy led to a significant revenue shortfall, hindering vital infrastructure development at airports across the nation.

Keyamo emphasized the need for fairness, questioning why VIPs enjoyed exemptions in airport toll payments while other sectors operated under different standards. He underscored the detrimental impact of these exemptions on airport infrastructure, which has been deteriorating over time.

Highlighting the stark financial implications, Keyamo revealed that under the previous policy, the ministry only generated around N100 million monthly instead of the projected N260 million from a single airport gate. To address this issue, the Federal Executive Council made a landmark decision to abolish exemptions for top government officials, including the president and vice president, mandating them to pay access fees or utilize e-tags at all federal airports nationwide.

This decisive action aims to curb revenue losses, ensure fairness in toll collection, and facilitate much-needed upgrades to airport infrastructure, signaling a significant reform in Nigeria’s aviation sector.