Posted by Chinenye on Fri 10th Jul, 2026 - tori.ng
FAAN has responded to a viral video that sparked public concern among airport taxi operators, revealing what it says is the real issue behind the dispute.
(FAAN. Photo by Daily Trust)
On Friday, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria refuted rumors that were making the rounds on social media that it ordered airport taxi drivers to swap out their cars for 2020 models before they could keep working at the country's airports.
The explanation followed a widely shared video in which some airport taxi drivers pleaded with President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians to step in, claiming that FAAN had implemented a policy requiring them to buy cars for between N18 million and N30 million despite the country's current economic difficulties.
As part of a new app-based airport taxi system, one of the drivers in the video asserted that the authority was demanding 2020 model cars, calling the condition unfeasible for many operators who are fighting to stay in business.
Many Nigerians expressed sympathy for the drivers after seeing the video on social media, while others contended that airport transport services ought to live up to the higher standards required at international airports.
FAAN's Director of Commercial and Business Development, Ms. Adebola Agunbiade, responded to the situation by stating that the assertions were untrue and did not align with the authority's policy.
"With regard to the video that is making the rounds online, the assertion that the primary reason behind the drivers' actions is untrue," she stated.
The video demonstrates the deliberate opposition of car rental companies who declined to sign up for the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, the drivers were attempting to stop the system's pilot and soft launches.
This occurrence had nothing to do with any policy pertaining to the model year of the car.
She clarified that FAAN has never instructed operators to purchase 2020 model cars before to enrolling in the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System, despite the accusations.
"It is incorrect to say that FAAN asked drivers to change their vehicles to a minimum of the 2020 model because of the introduction of ACHRAMS," Agunbiade continued.
In actuality, the Authority stipulates that drivers must drive cars made in 2012 or later in order to register on the app.
In order to give more operators enough time to comply, she revealed that the vehicle standard has been notified to operators since 2024.
The first compliance date was January 1, 2026, but it was later extended to June before being moved once again to October 1, 2026.
Additionally, the FAAN director denied rumors that the authority intended to eliminate roughly 60% of current airport taxi drivers in order to make room for new competitors under the digital platform.
It is crucial to remember that FAAN does not intend to remove just 60% of current drivers in order to make room for ACHRAMS.
All drivers will be cleared as long as they adhere to the established guidelines, she stated.
She added that, with the exception of two businesses whose union allegedly told them not to take part in the initiative and instead create their own applications, almost all of the current airport car rental companies at Murtala Muhammed Airport had already received approval to operate on the platform.
While many other operators outside the National Union of Private Cab Operators had embraced the new system and were already taking part in its pilot phase, Agunbiade claims that the drivers depicted in the viral video were probably members of those businesses.
She also addressed worries expressed by e-hailing drivers who thought that if ACHRAMS was implemented, they would not be able to access airport operations.
Agunbiade clarified that FAAN was working with Uber and Bolt to incorporate their platforms into ACHRAMS, and that both businesses will continue to operate in airports under the new framework after the agreements were finalized.
However, she clarified that any interim suspension would only be an operational and regulatory issue rather than an outright ban because the e-hailing companies did not yet have legal authorization to pick up passengers from airport terminals until those agreements were completed.