In a significant policy shift, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the cessation of exemptions for airport tollgate fees, including for top government officials. President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima will now be required to pay tollgate fees whenever they utilize airports in Nigeria.

This decision, announced by Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, during a post-FEC media briefing, comes after a memorandum presented to the council highlighted substantial revenue losses. Keyamo emphasized that the government was losing over 82% of potential revenue due to exemptions previously granted to airport users.

Initially, the memoranda proposed exemptions solely for the president and vice president. However, President Tinubu directed that both he and the vice president should be included among those obligated to pay tollgate fees.

Expressing regret, Keyamo noted that wealthy Very Important Persons (VIPs) had been among those evading tollgate fees, while only ordinary citizens bore the burden of payment. He emphasized the necessity of rectifying this inequity, signaling a shift towards fairer fee structures for airport users.