The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said ride-hailing platform Bolt has been cleared to resume operations at its airports immediately, after the two sides reached an operational agreement following a dispute that disrupted the service and drew complaints from passengers.
A statement issued by FAAN’s Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, on Thursday, noted that the dispute stemmed from nearly a decade of efforts to address safety, security and accountability concerns around commercial and e-hailing vehicles operating at its airports, including unregulated pickups and passenger solicitation, some involving drivers working across multiple platforms simultaneously.
It also dismissed claims that it was in control of fares, saying fares had always existed independently.
“We sincerely apologise for the difficulties this caused our passengers,” Mr. Henry Agbebire, director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, confirmed in a statement made available to Techeconomy, adding that FAAN had “listened, reflected and made the necessary adjustments.”
According to the statement, FAAN noted that those concerns had prompted it to introduce ACHRAMS. This airport car-hire management system, it reiterated, is not an e-hailing app and does not compete with Bolt, Uber or other mobility platforms.
The authority also addressed public criticism over airport taxi fares, saying rates cited in recent public discussion were not newly imposed by FAAN or created by its management system, and were not substantially different from fares that existed previously.
It said the system had simply made those fares more visible to passengers, which it acknowledged had drawn scrutiny when compared with the lower prices passengers were used to on e-hailing platforms.
FAAN said it remains in discussions with other e-hailing operators and expects those talks to conclude “in the coming days,” though it did not name which platforms remain affected.
The authority said its actions had been driven by regulatory and security considerations rather than commercial interests, and reiterated that it does not seek to create a monopoly over airport transportation.
It apologised to passengers for the inconvenience caused by the temporary disruption, saying it appreciated their patience and understanding.
