The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has cleared ride-hailing platform Bolt to resume operations at Nigerian airports following an agreement reached between both parties.
The development comes after a temporary ban on Bolt, Uber and other ride-hailing platforms at airports sparked complaints from passengers who rely on the services for convenient and affordable transportation.
In a statement issued on Thursday, August 27, FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, said the dispute followed years of efforts by the authority to address safety, security and accountability concerns involving commercial and e-hailing vehicles operating at its airports.
According to FAAN, some of the concerns included unregulated passenger pick-ups and solicitation, as well as situations involving drivers operating across multiple platforms simultaneously.
The authority said these concerns led to the introduction of the Airport Car-Hire Management System (ACHRAMS).
FAAN clarified that ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and does not compete with Bolt, Uber or other mobility platforms. Rather, it was introduced as a system for managing commercial and car-hire operations within airport premises.
The authority also dismissed claims that it controls or determines fares charged by ride-hailing operators.
FAAN said airport taxi fares that recently attracted public criticism were not newly introduced by its management or created by ACHRAMS. According to the authority, the fares had existed previously, but the system made them more visible to passengers.
It acknowledged that the visibility of the fares led to increased scrutiny, particularly because passengers were accustomed to lower prices offered by e-hailing platforms.
“We sincerely apologise for the difficulties this caused our passengers,” Agbebire said, adding that FAAN had “listened, reflected and made the necessary adjustments.”
FAAN further stated that it remains in discussions with other e-hailing operators and expects the engagements to be concluded “in the coming days.” However, the authority did not specify which platforms are still affected by the restrictions.
The airport authority maintained that its actions were driven by regulatory, safety and security considerations rather than commercial interests.
It also reiterated that it has no intention of creating a monopoly in airport transportation and said it appreciated passengers’ patience and understanding during the period of disruption.
With Bolt now cleared to resume operations, passengers are expected to regain access to the platform for airport pickups and drop-offs, subject to the operational arrangements agreed with FAAN.