President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima will no longer be exempted from paying tollgate fees when using airports in Nigeria, as approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The decision stems from a memorandum presented by Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, highlighting the loss of over 82% of potential revenue from the e-tags providing access to tollgates.
Initially, the memorandum proposed exemptions solely for the president and vice president, but Tinubu insisted that both he and Shettima should be included in the fee-paying category. Keyamo expressed regret during the post-FEC media briefing that wealthy Very Important Persons (VIPs), who should be paying, have evaded fees, leading to a situation where only the less affluent are charged for tollgate usage.
This move signifies a shift in policy, aimed at ensuring equitable payment for tollgate services among all users, irrespective of status. It underscores the government’s commitment to addressing revenue leakage while promoting fairness in fee collection at airports across Nigeria.