The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has defended its restrictions on e-hailing operations at airports, saying the measures were driven by passenger safety, accountability and the need to regulate commercial transport operators within airport premises.
Olubunmi Kuku, managing director of FAAN, said the authority’s intervention was not responsible for Uber’s decision to withdraw from Nigeria and Uganda, describing the ride-hailing company’s exit as a broader business decision.
Kuku said FAAN had received complaints from passengers over unpleasant experiences involving some e-hailing and car-hire services, particularly around driver conduct and passenger pick-up arrangements at airports.
She said the authority had also encountered instances where drivers presented themselves as e-hailing operators before joining car-hire companies and subsequently charging passengers higher fares.
The complaints, according to Kuku, prompted FAAN to tighten its oversight of commercial transport services operating within airport premises.
The authority had previously restricted e-hailing operators from conducting commercial passenger pick-ups at its airports while it worked on a licensing framework. Bolt was subsequently allowed to resume operations after meeting the required conditions, while Uber remained affected by the restriction.
Kuku said the framework was designed to give passengers clearer information about the vehicle and driver handling their journey, while strengthening accountability within the airport environment.
“The issue is not about removing e-hailing operators from the airport,” the FAAN chief said, stressing that the authority’s objective was to establish clearer operating standards for commercial transport services.
A key concern for FAAN, she said, was liability, particularly because some e-hailing platforms classify drivers as independent operators rather than direct employees.
The distinction, according to the authority, creates questions around responsibility when incidents involving passengers occur within airport premises.
FAAN therefore wants commercial transport operators serving airports to operate under a framework that provides visibility over drivers and vehicles and establishes clearer lines of responsibility for passenger safety.
The authority’s position places airport-based e-hailing services within a comprehensive regulatory framework in which access to passengers is tied to compliance with safety, identification, licensing and accountability requirements.
FAAN has maintained that its intervention was not designed to eliminate e-hailing services from Nigerian airports, but to bring their operations under requirements that the authority considers necessary for safety and accountability.
