FAAN denies causing Uber Nigeria exit, insists airport policies were for passenger safety

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has pushed back against claims that its airport policies caused Uber's exit from Nigeria. FAAN Managing Director Olubunmi Kuku told journalists at the airport on Friday that the authority's actions were guided by passenger safety and accountability, not pressure on e-hailing companies.

Kuku said Uber had been considering leaving Nigeria for some time before the dispute with FAAN over driver liability escalated. She added that the company made its own decision.

Kuku: My first responsibility is passenger safety

Kuku said FAAN's actions toward e-hailing operators were driven by the need to protect passengers. She said: "I work for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and my first responsibility is to ensure that our passengers are safe, protected, and have a seamless passenger experience."

On Uber, she said: "Regarding Uber, I can't speak to their exit from Nigeria. I'm sure they have their own economic and regulatory considerations as to why they chose to exit."

Airport ban and ACHRAMS claims

Weeks before Uber's exit, FAAN temporarily barred e-hailing drivers from picking up passengers at its airports while it finalised licence agreements, BusinessDay reports. The move sparked concerns among industry stakeholders, with some arguing it was designed to favour ACHRAMS, the airport authority's own transport platform.

Kuku rejected that interpretation. She said the restriction came after a wave of passenger complaints, particularly over the December holiday period, about unpleasant encounters with e-hailing and car-hire operators. Some passengers reported being dropped at unintended locations, while others described more serious incidents.

Drivers exploiting airport access

The FAAN boss also alleged that some drivers registered on platforms like Uber and Bolt had been exploiting their airport access. She said: "We also had situations where some Uber and Bolt drivers would get out of their cars under the guise of coming into the airport as e-hailing drivers, and then join the car-hire operators to charge higher fares."

Kuku pointed to disagreements over driver liability as the central issue between FAAN and e-hailing companies. She said the companies had requested dedicated pick-up zones at airports, which FAAN was willing to provide, but the authority also wanted them to accept responsibility for drivers on their platforms.

She said: "One of the issues we were struggling with the e-hailing companies over was largely around liability clauses. But we also wanted them to take responsibility for the drivers. However, we were told that those drivers are not Uber's drivers; rather, they are independent drivers."

Higher airport fares for travellers

Earlier, travellers departing and arriving at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos faced transport costs up to five times higher than normal, following FAAN's decision to suspend e-hailing platforms. A passenger identified as Chude on X said he paid N30,000 for a taxi from the airport to the Radisson Hotel in Ikeja, a journey he said would cost N6,000 on InDrive.

For Nigerian travellers, the dispute is already hitting pockets. With e-hailing platforms suspended, airport taxi fares have jumped sharply, and passengers are bearing the cost while FAAN and the companies sort out liability.