ACHRAMS: How FAAN is implementing a safe digital airport car-hire system
Amidst the controversies over the new Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)’s novel Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS), a look at the positives.
The debate over the operation of e-hailing services such as Uber and Bolt at Nigerian airports has, in recent days, generated considerable public interest. At the heart of the conversation, however, is a broader and more important question: how can Nigeria create a ground transportation system at its airports that combines convenience with security, accountability, orderliness and passenger protection?
This is where the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s (FAAN) Airport Car Hire Rank Management System (ACHRAMS) deserves closer attention.
Contrary to some interpretations, ACHRAMS is not an attempt by FAAN to establish an alternative to Uber, Bolt or other e-hailing platforms. FAAN has expressly clarified that the system is designed to provide operational visibility and tracking within the airport environment, while supporting accountable management of applicable concession and related airport charges.
In other words, ACHRAMS should be viewed less as a competitor to e-hailing companies and more as an airport-management and security infrastructure through which commercial transportation can be properly integrated into the highly regulated airport ecosystem.
It must be noted that the airport is a peculiar environment, an airport is fundamentally different from a conventional motor park, shopping centre or city street. Every movement within an airport has security, safety and operational implications. Thousands of passengers, employees, contractors, vehicles and service providers converge within a confined environment.
The airport authority therefore needs to know, as far as reasonably possible, who is entering the premises, what vehicle is being operated, who is driving it, where the vehicle is authorised to operate and, where necessary, how to trace that movement.
FAAN’s recent clarification is particularly instructive. The authority said commercial transportation providers operating within airport premises require a framework that gives the airport adequate visibility over their operations, vehicles and drivers and allows effective coordination when a security or passenger-related incident occurs.
Findings shows that the requirement itself is not unique to Nigeria. Airports and their management authorities around the world have developed systems that separate the convenience of private-hire transportation from the airport’s responsibility to control and manage the physical environment in which such services operate.
FAAN MD Mrs. Kuku
The Heathrow Example
London Heathrow Airport (LHR), the 7th busiest airport in the world by passengers’ traffic in 2025 according to the Airport Council International (ACI) permits Uber and other private-hire vehicles to serve passengers, but it does not simply allow drivers to roam freely around terminal forecourts in search of passengers. The airport operates an Authorised Vehicle Area (AVA) where licensed private-hire vehicles can wait before collecting passengers. Access is restricted to authorised private-hire operators and licensed taxi operators.
The lesson here is therefore significant. Just as FAAN affirmed, the airport regulation does not mean it is banning e-hailing. It is simply creating a controlled environment in which e-hailing operates safely.
That is essentially the opportunity presented by ACHRAMS according to Bode Ayodele, an expert in transport management regulation. He believes ACHRAMS can bring visibility where it matters most adding that it remains one of the strongest arguments for the novel technology.
Ayodele argued that without a coordinated airport transportation management system, the airport authority may have limited ability to establish in real time which commercial vehicles are legitimately operating within its environment.
“A technology-driven system can potentially provide a centralised database of approved vehicles and drivers, enabling airport management to distinguish authorised operators from unauthorised persons.” He told our reporter.
He affirmed that the direct security implications is that “If a passenger reports an incident involving a vehicle, the ability to identify the vehicle, driver and relevant operational records can significantly improve the airport’s response. Similarly, if security personnel identify a suspicious or unauthorised vehicle, a digital system can provide an additional layer of accountability.”
Also, a staff of an international transport logistic firm at the cargo wing of the international airport in Lagos, Lawrence said the principle is already reflected in airport security technology globally, where digital platforms are used to manage driver permits, vehicle permits, credentials, access and incident-response activities.
According to him, passenger safety should be the ultimate beneficiary of whatever is being put in place and the decisions arrive at, saying “For the travelling public, the most important question is simple: does the system make me safer?”
A properly implemented ACHRAMS, he noted can potentially provide several layers of protection. First he said is the driver identification explaining that Passengers should have greater confidence when entering a vehicle whose operator has been registered and authorised to operate within the airport environment.
“Again vehicle identification is very important. A digitally registered vehicle creates an additional accountability trail. If something goes wrong, the vehicle should not simply disappear into the wider transportation network without a trace. Then there is the operational traceability. The ability to know which vehicles are operating within designated airport transportation areas can assist security agencies and airport management when investigating complaints, incidents or emergencies.” He said further.
Lawrence is of the opinion that the innovation will address the challenge of touting and passenger solicitation, noting that FAAN has specifically identified passenger solicitation and touting among the operational problems associated with commercial transportation around its airports.
“A well-structured system can help move the airport away from a situation where passengers are approached by competing drivers and toward a more orderly, passenger-driven transportation model.”
Experts over the years have lamented that for many travellers, particularly first-time visitors and international passengers, one of the most uncomfortable aspects of airport arrival in Nigeria is the presence of individuals soliciting passengers for transportation.
They argued that the problem is not merely inconvenience, but also that it can create uncertainty about fares, identity, vehicle ownership, destination and accountability.
“A passenger arriving in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano or another major airport should not have to determine by trial and error whether the person approaching them is an authorised transportation provider.” One expert said.
Some believed that this is precisely why airport transportation needs to move from informal identification to institutional identification which they said ACHRAMS can help create that distinction.
“Instead of asking passengers to identify legitimate operators themselves, the airport should provide an environment in which authorised operators are readily identifiable and unauthorised solicitation is discouraged.” A passenger Elizabeth Dawodu said.
The Case for ACHRAMS and Others
However, citing the example of Heathrow, experts have also made a case for the co-existence of ACRAMS registered operators and those on the e-hailing platforms at the airport but with modified operational system. For example, at Heathrow, passengers using Uber are directed to designated pick-up locations, while private-hire drivers are required to use authorised waiting arrangements. The airport also restricts passenger pick-up from terminal forecourts and directs collections to designated areas.
Engineer Mudi, a retired aviation worker told our reporter that such arrangements reduce confusion and enable the passenger to know where to go while the driver knows where to wait. Also the airport knows where commercial vehicles are supposed to operate just as the security personnel know which areas are designated for particular activities.
Other benefits he explained include better traffic management around airport terminals which he also affirmed is a potential ACHRAMS benefit.
It is a well-known fact that airport terminals frequently experience congestion because different categories of vehicles compete for limited road space: private cars, taxis, buses, hotel shuttles, airport service vehicles, ride-hailing vehicles and commercial operators. If every vehicle attempts to pick up passengers directly at the terminal frontage, the result can be congestion, obstruction, passenger exposure to moving vehicles and increased pressure on airport security personnel.
A controlled transportation system will allow FAAN to determine where different categories of vehicles can wait, pick up and drop off passengers. It will be a good idea if Nigeria can adapt a model that best suits its own circumstances rather than simply copying any foreign model.
ACHRAMS As A Platform For Accountability
Perhaps one of the most important benefits of ACHRAMS is accountability. Commercial transportation within an airport is a business activity, but it is also an activity taking place within critical national infrastructure. The operator should therefore be accountable not only to the passenger but also to the airport authority. This does not necessarily mean interfering with the commercial relationship between a passenger and an e-hailing platform. Rather, it means establishing a framework under which the airport can answer basic operational questions.
Closing The Security Loopholes
A senior official of FAAN who does not want his name in print confided in our correspondent that the Federal Government’s broader move to sanitise airport car-hire operations through a technology-driven system is linked to the need to eliminate unregulated activities, improve passenger safety and close security loopholes.
According to him the significance of the system therefore goes beyond car-hire management. It touches on the larger question of airport security architecture, saying modern airport security cannot rely exclusively on physical barriers, security personnel and surveillance cameras. Increasingly, according to him, security depends on information: knowing who is authorised, what they are authorised to do, where they are permitted to go and having records that can be retrieved when necessary. He stated that ACHRAMS can become one component of that wider information architecture.
However, security experts advised that the revenue question should not and must not overshadow the security objective. Though FAAN has also stated that ACHRAMS facilitates accountable management of applicable concession and related airport charges. There is nothing inherently wrong with ensuring that commercial activities within airport premises comply with applicable charges and concessions.
Again, the public value of ACHRAMS should not be measured primarily by its revenue potential. Its strongest justification should be passenger safety, security, accountability and operational efficiency. If those objectives are achieved, improved revenue administration becomes a secondary benefit.
Indeed, the more transparent the system is, the easier it becomes for operators to understand what they are paying for and for the airport authority to demonstrate that charges are being administered consistently.
The opportunity with Uber and Bolt
The current conversation involving Uber, Bolt and other e-hailing operators therefore presents an opportunity rather than simply a dispute. FAAN has already stated that it recognises the convenience and additional transportation choices provided by e-hailing platforms and that it is engaging affected operators toward a mutually workable operational framework. The Authority has also stressed that the current process should not be interpreted as a blanket ban on e-hailing services. That position provides room for a practical solution.
Uber, Bolt and other operators bring technology, customer convenience and established driver networks. FAAN brings responsibility for the airport environment, security, traffic management and operational standards. The objective should therefore be to make these capabilities work together.
For example, an expert explained that ACHRAMS can provide needed airport-level layer for authorised access, vehicle and driver identification, designated pick-up arrangements and airport operational compliance. “That would be a partnership rather than a competition.” He stated.
Nigeria can develop an airport-specific model that takes account of local realities, including security concerns, traffic patterns, passenger volumes and the operational peculiarities of Nigerian airports.
In the final analysis, the real opportunity is for ACHRAMS to evolve beyond being perceived merely as a car-hire management platform. It could become part of a broader digital airport ecosystem incorporating authorised driver and vehicle registration, real-time vehicle visibility and designated pick-up and drop-off management among others.
Such an ecosystem would strengthen FAAN’s ability to manage the increasingly complex movement of people and vehicles around Nigerian airports.
What FAAN Must Get Right
Stakeholders are of the opinion that for ACHRAMS to achieve its full potential, implementation will be critical. FAAN must ensure that registration processes are transparent, charges are clearly communicated, technology is reliable and operators are treated fairly. The system should also be easy for legitimate transportation providers to use.
They say there should be clear rules for on-boarding drivers and vehicles, clear procedures for handling violations and an efficient mechanism for resolving disputes, and most importantly, FAAN should communicate the system effectively to passengers.
Travellers should know where legitimate airport transportation can be obtained, how authorised operators can be identified and where they should meet their drivers, just as they affirmed that technology is only as effective as the operational framework surrounding it.
A Look At The Bigger Picture
The controversy surrounding e-hailing operations at Nigerian airports may ultimately prove beneficial if it leads to a more mature conversation about airport mobility. The issue should not be framed as FAAN versus Uber, FAAN versus Bolt, or even traditional car hire versus e-hailing. The real issue is how Nigeria can create an airport transportation environment in which innovation, convenience, safety and security operate together.
ACHRAMS provides an important foundation for achieving that objective. If properly implemented and continuously improved, it can help FAAN know who is operating within its airports, bring greater accountability to commercial transportation, reduce touting, improve traffic organisation, support security response and give passengers greater confidence in the services they use.
That is ultimately what airport modernisation should mean. The passenger arriving at a Nigerian airport should not have to choose between convenience and security. With the right combination of technology, regulation and collaboration, Nigeria can provide both and ACHRAMS could be an important step in making that vision a reality.
The test, therefore, is not whether ACHRAMS can regulate vehicles. The real test is whether it can help build a Nigerian airport environment where every legitimate journey begins with confidence, accountability and safety.
