The Federal Government has made it mandatory for all individuals, including foreign guests to pay before accessing airports across the country.
This decision was revealed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo, during a briefing with State House Correspondents shortly after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Tuesday.
Keyamo emphasized that no one would be exempted from paying for access to airports, including Very Important Personalities (VIPs).
He highlighted that only 18% of E-tags printed are currently paid for, leading to substantial revenue losses in the aviation sector.
“Out of 100% E-tags printed, only 18% are paid for, thereby leading to loss of revenues in the aviation sector,” Keyamo stated.
The Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to enforcing this new policy, with the President and Vice President also endorsing their inclusion in the payment requirement.
“The President and the Vice President have also said they should not be excluded from this new policy,” Keyamo affirmed.
In addition to the payment directive, Keyamo addressed recent incidents of aircraft skidding off runways in various parts of the country, including a notable case involving Dana Air.
He expressed concern over the lack of efficiency exhibited by some airliners and emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring proper infrastructure auditing of all airlines.
“We will ensure proper infrastructure auditing of all airlines to ensure that any airline showing signs of inefficiency is banned from operating,” Keyamo stated firmly.