Authority says airport cab drivers are only required to use 2012-and-newer vehicles as it clarifies controversy surrounding its new digital taxi management system…..
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has dismissed widespread claims that it introduced a policy compelling airport taxi operators to replace their vehicles with 2020 model cars before they can continue operating at the country’s airports.
The clarification follows the circulation of a viral video in which several airport cab drivers appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Nigerian public to intervene, alleging that FAAN’s new policy would force them to purchase vehicles worth between ₦18 million and ₦30 million despite the country’s harsh economic realities.
One of the drivers featured in the video claimed the authority had made 2020 model vehicles a mandatory requirement under a newly introduced app-based airport taxi system, describing the condition as unrealistic and financially impossible for many operators already struggling to sustain their businesses.
The claims quickly gained traction on social media, sparking mixed reactions. While many Nigerians sympathised with the affected drivers, others argued that airport transportation services should maintain standards that reflect those of international airports.
Reacting to the controversy, FAAN’s Director of Commercial and Business Development, Adebola Agunbiade, described the allegations as false, insisting that they do not represent the authority’s policy.
According to her, the protest captured in the viral video involved some car hire operators who declined to register on the newly introduced Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS), leading to resistance during the system’s pilot rollout at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
She stressed that the incident had nothing to do with any directive requiring operators to acquire 2020 model vehicles.
Agunbiade explained that the only vehicle standard introduced by FAAN requires airport taxi operators to use vehicles manufactured from 2012 upward to qualify for registration on the ACHRAMS platform.
She added that this requirement was communicated to operators as far back as 2024. The initial compliance deadline of January 1, 2026, was later extended to June and subsequently shifted to October 1, 2026, to give operators additional time to meet the standard.
The FAAN official also dismissed reports suggesting that the authority intended to remove about 60 per cent of existing airport taxi operators to accommodate new entrants under the digital platform.
She maintained that every current operator would be allowed to continue providing services, provided they satisfy the established registration and operational requirements.
According to Agunbiade, nearly all airport car hire operators at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport have already been cleared to operate on the new platform. She noted that only two companies remain outstanding after their union allegedly advised them against participating in the registration process in favour of developing separate applications.
She said the drivers seen in the viral video are believed to belong to those companies, while many other operators, including those outside the National Union of Private Cab Operators, have already embraced the new system and are participating in its pilot phase.
Addressing concerns raised by e-hailing operators, Agunbiade disclosed that FAAN is in the final stages of discussions with Bolt and Uber to integrate their services into the ACHRAMS platform.
She explained that once the agreements are concluded, both companies will continue operating within airport premises under the new framework.
Until then, however, e-hailing drivers do not have regulatory approval to pick up passengers directly from airport terminals. She emphasised that the temporary restriction is an operational and regulatory measure pending the completion of the integration process, rather than a permanent ban on their activities.
