Approximately 200 cab operators have issued a nine-day ultimatum to halt activities at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja. This protest is a response to policies imposed by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) which the drivers deem detrimental to their businesses.
Adeola Adepegba, National President of the Nigeria Union of Private Cab Operators (NUPCO), stated that the agency has mandated the retirement of vehicles older than 2012 by July 2026. Furthermore, drivers are protesting a fee hike from N500 to N1,500 per trip, a 200 percent increase that they argue is unsustainable given current economic conditions and stagnant fare rates.
NUPCO leadership also expressed strong opposition to FAAN’s attempts to force them into an app-based transport ecosystem without prior discussion. They argue that their union mandate is distinct from the Amalgamated Union of App-based Transporters of Nigeria (AUATON). The operators claim these initiatives are calculated efforts to replace them with favored cronies and force them out of the industry.
Supporting the cab drivers, Rufus Olusesan of the Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association (PERESSA) pledged solidarity from the broader labour movement. He called on Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to resolve the conflict, warning that the TUC and NLC may coordinate a full airport shutdown by July 1 if their grievances remain unaddressed.