FAAN Under Fire as Lagos Airport Taxi Fare Climbs to N30,000

By Benson Daniel

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has come under increasing criticism after passengers raised concerns over the cost of its newly introduced airport car hire service, with a trip from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos to Ikeja reportedly quoted at N30,000.

The controversy followed a viral video shared by travel content creator Chris Joondeph, popularly known as “Authentic Travelling”, who said he was surprised after an airport car hire operator quoted N30,000 for a journey to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja.

Joondeph said he had previously paid between N6,000 and N8,000 for the same journey using conventional ride hailing services. Rather than accept the airport fare, he left the airport premises and ordered an inDrive ride, which he said cost N6,100.

The wide difference in fares has since generated strong reactions from travellers and Nigerians online, with questions raised about the pricing structure of the airport’s new car hire system and its impact on passengers.

Checks of the new Airport Car Hire Rank Management System, known as ACHRAMS, showed that journeys from the airport to the city centre are listed at between N10,000 and N20,000, while trips to suburbs can cost between N20,000 and N30,000. Inter state journeys are priced higher, with some fares reaching N60,000.

For the particular airport to Ikeja journey that triggered the controversy, fares available through other ride hailing platforms were considerably lower. The reported comparison showed Bolt at about N6,900, while Uber listed approximately N4,200 for its standard UberX service and N5,800 for its Priority option.

The disparity has fuelled concerns that passengers may be left with fewer affordable transportation choices when arriving at the airport, particularly if conventional ride hailing operators face restrictions on direct airport pick ups.

FAAN, however, has disputed suggestions that it imposed a blanket ban on Uber, Bolt or other e hailing companies. The authority said its position was aimed at ensuring that commercial transportation services operating within airport premises comply with safety, security and accountability requirements.

According to the authority, airports are highly regulated environments and transportation operators need to operate under a framework that enables the identification and monitoring of drivers and vehicles.

FAAN has also maintained that ACHRAMS was not designed to compete directly with Uber, Bolt or other e hailing platforms. Instead, it said the system was introduced to provide operational visibility, improve passenger safety and facilitate the management of applicable airport charges.

Despite the explanation, the fare controversy has placed renewed attention on the relationship between airport regulation, passenger convenience and competition within the ground transportation market.

A major concern among stakeholders is whether airport passengers should be required to pay significantly higher fares simply because they are travelling from a regulated airport environment.

The issue also comes against the background of earlier disagreements between FAAN and airport taxi operators over vehicle standards, operational charges and the authority’s efforts to modernise airport transportation services.

Some aviation stakeholders have questioned whether a public agency responsible for airport management should be directly involved in commercial transportation activities, particularly where passengers perceive the service as competing with private operators.

Others argue that the authority has a legitimate responsibility to regulate activities within airport premises and ensure that passengers can access safe and accountable transportation.

The immediate challenge, however, is finding a balance between regulation and affordability. While passengers recognise the need for secure and properly monitored airport transportation, many are questioning whether such safeguards should result in fares several times higher than those available outside the airport.

The controversy could therefore influence future discussions between FAAN and ride hailing companies over their operations at Nigerian airports.

For travellers, the expectation remains straightforward: airport transportation should be safe, reliable, transparent and reasonably priced.

As FAAN continues to implement its new car hire framework, the authority may face increasing pressure to explain how fares are determined and ensure that efforts to improve airport security and accountability do not unnecessarily increase the financial burden on passengers.