If you've ever landed at Lagos or Abuja and immediately opened your Bolt or Uber app to escape the airport chaos, you'll want to read this. The rules are about to change.

So, here's what's happening, according to cbinews.tv:

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has confirmed it is moving to tighten how e-hailing services like Uber and Bolt operate inside Nigerian airports.

In a statement released by its management on Thursday, 20th August 2026, the authority said it wants a proper operational framework for all ride-hailing platforms working on airport premises. And no, before the rumour mill starts, this is not a ban.

What's FAAN actually saying?

FAAN was quite clear. Its words: it is not trying to restrict your access to affordable rides or to push Uber and Bolt out of business.

The point, they say, is that airports are not regular bus stops. They are highly regulated, high-security zones. Right now, they want better visibility - who is driving in, which car is picking up who, and where exactly that pick-up is happening.

In their own words, FAAN has been “engaging the relevant e-hailing operators to achieve a mutually workable operational framework that recognises the value of their services while addressing the peculiar safety, security, accountability and passenger-experience requirements of the airport environment,” as reported by cbinews.tv.

Translation? They want drivers to be identifiable, accountable, and not touting or soliciting passengers in the arrival halls - a complaint FAAN says it has received repeatedly.

Wait, what about that FAAN taxi app?

FAAN also cleared up confusion around its own platform, ACHRAMS - the Airport Car Hire Rank Management System.

Many travellers thought FAAN had built its own rival to Uber and Bolt. The authority says absolutely not. According to cbinews.tv, ACHRAMS is not an e-hailing app at all. It was built for internal control - to track cars, manage concession fees, and keep a digital eye on who is operating where.

The talks with Uber and Bolt are completely separate from ACHRAMS.

Some quick background - this has been brewing

This didn't start today.

If you remember July 2026, a video went viral showing airport car-hire drivers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, protesting. The claim online then was that FAAN was demanding only cars made from 2020 or newer could operate.

FAAN debunked it. The real requirement, which has been on the table since 2024, is vehicles from 2012 or newer to register on ACHRAMS. The original deadline was 1st January 2026, shifted to June 2026, and now being considered for a further push to 1st October 2026. They are also reviewing the airport cab operational tariff from N500 to N1,500.

Why does this matter? Context.

Nigeria's e-hailing market has exploded. Since Uber launched in Lagos in 2014 and Bolt (then Taxify) followed in 2016, they have completely disrupted airport transfers. A cbinews.tv investigation in 2025 found that traditional airport cab operators at MMIA were struggling to compete. Why? Traditional operators were paying N700 per hour just to park at MMA2, while e-hailing drivers could swoop in, pick up, and leave.

During normal hours, Bolt and Uber were cheaper. During surge pricing, the old airport cabs were sometimes cheaper. Passengers just went with whoever was fastest and cheapest.

This tension isn't new to Nigeria either. From London Heathrow to JFK in New York, airports globally have had the same fight - creating designated e-hailing pick-up zones, introducing access fees, and forcing platforms to share driver data for security reasons. FAAN is now following that global playbook.

The bottom line from FAAN: e-hailing isn't going anywhere, but the free-for-all era at the airport is ending. A more structured, safer system is coming, and they say a deal with Uber and Bolt should be reached shortly.

We will keep you posted on cbinews.tv as soon as that framework drops.

#FAAN #UberNigeria #BoltNigeria #NigerianAirports #MMIA #AviationNews #CBINewsTV #TravelNigeria #LagosTraffic