Airport begging scandal becomes ‘national embarrassment’ as agencies resist reform
LAGOS—Persistent begging and touting by security personnel at Nigerian airports continue to be a severe challenge, tarnishing the country’s international image despite efforts by the Federal Airports Authority (FAAN) to eliminate the menace, according to PUNCH reporting.
Frustration and Resistance
The problem was sharply highlighted by Mrs. Charles, a Nigerian based in the United States, who recounted her “disappointment at what begging by airport staff, particularly security officials, has made of Nigeria’s image.” She lamented how her British friend “laughed and teased me, questioning why my people would behave in such a manner, begging openly despite being in an official uniform.”
The issue has drawn political fire, with Senator Osita Izunaso calling on Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo to caution officials of the Nigeria Customs Service and Nigeria Immigration Service against begging air travellers, labeling the act a “national embarrassment.”
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.
While FAAN has begun installing multi-million-dollar screening machines to replace manual baggage checks at Customs inspection points—often cited as breeding grounds for extortion—progress is hindered by institutional resistance. An inside source revealed that “legal bottlenecks regarding the mandates of the security and administrative conveniences are hindering the removal of the embattled checkpoints,” noting that the agencies are not from the same ministry.
Retired Air Force officer Group Captain John Ojikutu suggested that “Keyamo cannot do anything” unless all airport security is brought under one command to ensure synergy.