The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is contemplating a final adjustment to its vehicle age requirements for airport taxi services. While the current policy mandates that vehicles manufactured prior to 2012 be phased out by July 1, 2026, authorities are reviewing a proposal to push this deadline to October 2026.
This development follows warnings from the Nigeria Union of Private Cab Operators (NUPCO). Representing approximately 200 drivers, the union threatened to halt services at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed Airport and Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport within nine days. The operators cite the vehicle age mandate and a proposed tariff increase from N500 to N1,500 as detrimental to their businesses.
FAAN maintains that the fleet modernization requirement is essential for passenger safety, comfort, and service reliability. Management emphasized that discussions regarding these upgrades began in July 2024, providing operators with significant lead time. After previous extensions in January and June 2026, the authority notes that a potential final push to October is being reviewed as a gesture of goodwill to accommodate current economic conditions.