The Federal Government has announced that paying for access to airports across the country is now mandatory for everyone.
This declaration was made by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Festus Keyamo, during a briefing with State House Correspondents following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Tuesday.
The FEC meeting, initially set for Monday, May 13, 2024, was postponed to Tuesday due to the extensive agenda, as stated by the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris.
Keyamo emphasized that there will be no exemptions from the new policy, including for foreign guests and individuals previously considered Very Important Personalities (VIPs).
He noted that a significant number of E-tags, approximately 82%, have not been paid for, resulting in substantial revenue losses for the aviation sector.
“Council has approved that henceforth nobody will be exempted from paying for access into our airports. The President and the Vice President have also said they should not be excluded from this new policy,” Keyamo affirmed.
Addressing recent incidents of aircraft skidding off runways, including those involving Dana Air, Keyamo criticized the inefficiency of certain airlines.
He assured that the government would conduct thorough infrastructure audits of all airlines and ban those exhibiting signs of inefficiency.