The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has cleared Bolt to resume operations at airports under its management, ending a period of disruption that left passengers grappling with sharply higher transport costs.
The resolution was announced by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on his official X account on Thursday. He said the decision followed his directive to FAAN to urgently address complaints over what passengers described as exorbitant taxi fares at Nigerian airports.
In a statement signed by FAAN Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, the authority said it had reached an “agreeable operational framework” with Bolt, allowing the e-hailing company to commence services at FAAN-managed airports immediately.
FAAN said the arrangement was reached after engagements aimed at balancing airport security with passengers’ need for affordable and convenient transportation.
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The authority also explained the controversy surrounding its Airport Car Hire Rank Management System, known as ACHRAMS.
According to FAAN, the system was introduced to organise airport taxi operations and tackle problems including passenger solicitation, touting, random pick-ups, unregulated services, and concerns over safety and accountability.
“ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing application and was never conceived as a competitor to Uber, Bolt or any other mobility platform,” Agbebire said.
He added that the system was designed to manage airport car-hire ranks and authorised transportation services, rather than replace commercial mobility platforms.
The clarification followed widespread concern after the interruption of e-hailing services at airports pushed passengers towards conventional airport taxis, whose fares were considerably higher than the prices many travellers had become accustomed to through apps such as Bolt and Uber.
FAAN said the taxi rates that generated public criticism were not newly imposed by the authority or introduced by ACHRAMS.
“Airport taxi fares have existed independently of the application, and the rates themselves were not substantially different from those previously applicable,” the statement said.
However, the authority acknowledged that making the existing fares more visible through ACHRAMS exposed the sharp contrast between airport taxi charges and cheaper e-hailing alternatives.
FAAN apologised to passengers for the inconvenience caused by the disruption and admitted that the immediate effect on travellers was significant.
The authority said its intervention was motivated by regulatory, safety, and security concerns rather than commercial interests. It also disclosed that discussions with other e-hailing operators were continuing and could produce similar arrangements in the coming days.
The development gives airport users another transportation option and could ease the financial pressure created by the temporary suspension of app-based rides.
FAAN said passengers would be free to select any authorised transport service that suits their needs, provided operators comply with airport safety, security, and accountability requirements.
Agbebire said the authority’s responsibility was to create an airport transportation system that combines order and security with passenger convenience and freedom of choice.
