Ride hailing service returns to FAAN managed airports after operational agreement, while talks with other platforms continue
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has cleared Bolt to resume operations at airports under its management after the two sides reached an agreement on how the ride hailing platform will operate within the airport environment.
The decision, announced on August 27, 2026, follows a temporary disruption of e hailing services that left some travellers with fewer transportation options and triggered complaints over the cost of alternative airport taxis. FAAN said it had reached an “agreeable operational framework” with Bolt following constructive engagements and that the company could resume services immediately.
The development is particularly significant for passengers using major airports such as Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, where access to app based rides had become a major point of concern during the disruption.
The dispute centres on FAAN’s attempt to bring commercial transportation operating within its airports under a more structured system.
The authority introduced the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS), which it describes as an airport specific digital system for managing authorised car hire ranks, driver identification, dispatch and operational oversight. FAAN says the system was developed in response to longstanding problems including passenger solicitation, touting, random pick ups, unregulated operations and concerns around safety, security and accountability.
FAAN has stressed that ACHRAMS is not an e hailing application and was not created to compete with Bolt, Uber or other mobility platforms. Instead, the authority says its purpose is to provide greater visibility and control over commercial vehicles operating within the airport environment.
The introduction of the system nevertheless disrupted the way some e hailing drivers operated at airports, creating confusion over whether passengers could continue to request rides through platforms such as Bolt and Uber.
The disruption became particularly contentious after passengers complained about higher transportation costs when they could not access their usual e hailing options.
A viral incident involving a reported ₦30,000 airport taxi fare further intensified the public debate. FAAN subsequently clarified that the fares attracting criticism were not newly imposed by the authority or created by ACHRAMS. Instead, it said airport taxi rates had existed independently of the system, while ACHRAMS simply made the prevailing rates more visible to passengers.
The distinction is important because FAAN has rejected the suggestion that it introduced the higher fares as part of ACHRAMS. At the same time, the authority acknowledged that passengers experienced a significant increase in costs and inconvenience when e hailing options were temporarily disrupted.
FAAN apologised to travellers and said it had “listened, reflected and made the necessary adjustments” following the concerns raised by passengers.
Under the new arrangement, Bolt can now resume airport services immediately at FAAN managed airports.
FAAN said its agreement with Bolt demonstrates that airport authorities can impose safety and accountability requirements without eliminating passengers’ access to e hailing services.
The authority is still negotiating with other e hailing operators, including Uber, and said it expects the remaining discussions to be concluded in the coming days. This means the resolution with Bolt does not necessarily represent a final framework for every e hailing company operating at Nigerian airports.
The development also leaves open an important question: how the new airport operating framework will work in practice for drivers who use multiple platforms and how those drivers will be integrated into airport specific requirements.
The dispute highlights a larger challenge facing airports as app based transportation becomes a normal part of air travel.
For airport authorities, the issue is not simply whether passengers can order a vehicle through an app. FAAN argues that it must also be able to identify the driver and vehicle, monitor where airport pick ups occur and establish accountability if something goes wrong. The authority has said its approach is driven by safety, security and operational considerations rather than an attempt to control the airport transportation market.
FAAN also maintains that it supports competition and does not intend to create a monopoly in airport transportation. Passengers, it said, remain free to choose among authorised transportation services that operate within the approved airport framework.
For passengers, however, the immediate concern is simpler: maintaining access to convenient and reasonably priced transportation after landing.
The Bolt agreement provides one answer to that problem, but the ongoing discussions with other e hailing companies will determine whether FAAN can establish a consistent framework across the wider airport mobility market.
Bolt’s return marks the first major resolution in the latest dispute between FAAN and Nigeria’s e hailing industry. The authority still has to conclude discussions with other operators and demonstrate that its airport management system can deliver the safety and accountability it seeks without creating unnecessary barriers for passengers and drivers.
For travellers, the immediate change is that Bolt services are once again authorised at FAAN managed airports. The longer term test will be whether the new framework can balance airport security, regulatory oversight, passenger choice and transportation costs without recreating the disruption that triggered the latest controversy.
