Begging and touting remain persistent challenges at Nigerian airports. Despite the Federal Airports Authority’s efforts to curb this menace, progress has faced strong resistance, particularly from security agencies. This menace is embarrassing the country, OLASUNKANMI AKINLOTAN, reports
“When my British friend visited Nigeria with me in January 2025 for my mother’s burial, she left with an unfortunate impression of my country. We flew on the same aircraft, and upon arrival, while making our way through the terminal and undergoing the usual airport checks, several people approached us, asking for money. I hadn’t changed my foreign currency for naira, so I kept repeating, ‘I don’t have naira,’ hoping they would understand.
“To my dismay, my British friend found the situation amusing. She laughed and teased me, questioning why my people would behave in such a manner, begging openly despite being in an official uniform under the government’s employment. Her comments stung, but even more painful was knowing that her mockery stemmed from something real and visible.
“It is deeply troubling that airport staff, who represent the country’s image to visitors, could engage in such unprofessional conduct. This kind of behaviour is disgraceful and tarnishes the nation’s reputation. Incidents like this reflect how little pride some of our institutions take in upholding Nigeria’s dignity. Truly, such things rarely happen abroad, and it is high time our leaders and citizens alike took responsibility for restoring respect and integrity to our nation’s name.”
This was the lamentation of a female Nigerian based in the United States, Mrs Charles, who explained her disappointment at what begging by airport staff, particularly security officials, has made of Nigeria’s image in the eyes of her foreign friend.
The female traveller said Nigeria is a great country that is being maligned by a few, according to her, ‘unpatriotic Nigerians’.
For years, both industry stakeholders and travellers have voiced frustration over the Customs inspection points within the Murtala Muhammed International Airport terminal.
Stakeholders have criticised these manual checks by security agencies, tagging them as outdated and intrusive, while passengers often describe them as a breeding ground for extortion.
On Monday, drama played out at the Senate in Abuja when the Senator representing Imo West, Osita Izunaso, called on the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, to caution officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, and other uniformed personnel at airports against begging air travellers for money.
The lawmaker described the behaviour of some airport officials as a national embarrassment, saying it undermines Nigeria’s image before foreign visitors and investors.
The obviously unpleasant act has been the top priority of the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Olubunmi Kuku, as she has repeatedly expressed her disdain for begging and any other form of touting within the airport at various fora.
Handlers of the aviation industry, including the Minister, are yet to respond to the call by the Senator.
After being inundated by complaints from visitors and Nigerians about the act of begging, which has taken over Nigerian aerodromes, in June 2024, The PUNCH recalled that Keyamo promised that the government agencies involved in extortion and begging at Nigeria’s airports do not fall directly under his ministry’s control, nor are they all under one ministry.
The Minister, in a post on his verified X handle on a Sunday, explained that efforts are in top gear to ensure that the ministers of the concerned ministries forge a collaboration with the Ministry of Aviation to end the menace.
His comments came in response to a noticeably growing volume of complaints from travellers about the persistent issue.
In April 2025, as part of ongoing efforts to curb touting, extortion, and unnecessary delays caused by multiple manual checks at Nigerian airports, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria began installation of multi-million-dollar machines to scan both passengers and luggage.
These advanced screening machines were to replace physical luggage inspections, particularly at Customs checkpoints.
While conducting journalists round the machines, the Director of Aviation Security at FAAN, Igbafe Afegbai, said the Customs table where they physically check travellers’ bags would be dismantled in a week’s time.
The new devices, including six Orion 927DX units, a full-body scanner, and an itemiser, are equipped with cutting-edge imaging technology capable of displaying both Classic 4-colour and Spectrum 4-colour views.
Afegbai said these systems would enhance security through rapid and precise threat detection while also improving passenger efficiency and overall airport operations.
Weeks later, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, visited the airport in the company of the FAAN MD and journalists.
He walked around the newly installed machines as well as Customs checkpoints for over two hours, after which the CG, FAAN MD, and some top officials of both agencies held a closed-door meeting, shutting journalists out to further discuss the issue.
At the end of the meeting, participants refused to comment on the matter at hand.
Meanwhile, an inside source who was at the meeting but spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid official reprimand said legal bottlenecks regarding the mandates of the security and administrative conveniences are hindering the removal of the embattled checkpoints.
The source said, “These things are looking this difficult because all these agencies are not from the same ministry and they have establishment laws and mandates. On the other hand, they claimed they have yet to be trained for the use of the machines. They also appealed for space and rooms where they would monitor the machines through screens and also do random checks.”
When contacted, industry expert and retired Air Force officer, Group Captain John Ojikutu, said the minister may not be able to meet the Senator’s expectations until all security at the airport is brought under one command for the purpose of smooth running at the airport.
“I have told them they must go back to the drawing board. Keyamo cannot do anything; the security personnel must operate under the dictates of the airport committee because the security operatives at the airport all belong to different ministries. So, to have synergy, they must work under one body. That was what we did when we were there; they should return to it.
“In 1993–1994, we did our own joint security here even before the Aviation GSA in America. Human beings like extortion; to force them out of that, we must return to our strategy, the same one that worked for us in the past.”
Also, in his view, a retired pilot, Muhammed Badamasi, said he doesn’t think the minister needs to be told what to do, adding that begging has become endemic in the country.
He noted that such behaviour is common and that many do not care who they are speaking to when making such requests.
Badamasi recalled scolding a female immigration officer at Kano airport in 2023 after she asked what he brought for them from the Holy Land before checking his luggage.
He emphasised that until the managers of these establishments begin to monitor their staff closely and punish erring workers to serve as a deterrent, the menace will continue to embarrass the nation.
His words: “I don’t think that he needs to be told what to do. Begging is endemic in this country. Anywhere you go in the country, whether it’s a government establishment or the private sector, some people shamelessly ask for financial assistance as if they don’t earn a salary. They don’t care about whoever it is.
“I had to scold a female immigration officer at Kano airport in 2023 for asking what I brought for them from the Holy Land before checking my luggage. Until the managers of these establishments monitor their staff and punish them as an example to others, the menace will continue to embarrass us as a people.
“The minister knows that it is a difficult task for one person to tackle.”
Efforts to speak with the spokesperson of FAAN, Henry Agbebire, on what is being done was unsuccessful as he neither picked up his calls nor responded to messages.
