The Federal Government on Friday launched the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC), a regional digital identity credential aimed at strengthening border security, curbing irregular migration, and improving identity verification across West Africa.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the card would support efforts to modernise identity management and improve regional mobility.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu’s directive for accelerated delivery helped revive the long-delayed project.
Tunji-Ojo said the ENBIC is designed to enhance border control and intelligence gathering and is interoperable with international public key infrastructure systems.
He added that the credential would also reduce pressure on passport demand, as it can serve as a travel document within the ECOWAS region.
“If you are travelling only within ECOWAS, you no longer need a passport. This card is sufficient for all regional travel.
“With ENBIC, Nigeria is not only strengthening its borders but reaffirming its leadership in a region seeking safer mobility, deeper integration, and a digitally driven future,” he said.
The minister linked the launch to recent reforms, including the deployment of the UN-mandated Advanced Passenger Information System and the planned introduction of a Single Travel Emergency Passport in January for stranded Nigerians.
Representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, Permanent Secretary Mohammed, Sanusi Danjuma, said the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to regional integration.
He recalled that the technical framework for the biometric card was adopted at an ECOWAS summit in Abuja in 2014.
Akume said, “In our hands is a simple card, but in our hearts lies a profound hope.
“It is a tool of dignity for migrant women, an enabler for cross-border traders, and a promise of a West Africa where borders become bridges of opportunity rather than barriers.”
He urged member states to speed up implementation and harmonise national identity systems for full regional interoperability, and encouraged private-sector players, especially fintech companies, to develop services that can operate on the platform.
The Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, said the ENBIC replaces the old paper travel certificate and is built on advanced biometric and cryptographic technology that meets ECOWAS and ICAO standards.
She added that the card’s biometric features would strengthen verification processes, reduce document fraud, and help disrupt cross-border criminal networks, while also benefiting trade, labour mobility, tourism, and regional cooperation.
“Its biometric core—anchored on high-quality facial and fingerprint data — provides a secure link between the holder and the credential. It will strengthen verification processes, reduce document fraud, and disrupt the operations of cross-border criminal networks,” she said.
In a message, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, commended Nigeria for its leadership and disclosed that ECOWAS forces were currently deployed in Guinea-Bissau to stabilise the situation. He said the rollout forms part of broader plans to develop a regional biometric identity ecosystem.
PUNCH Online reports that with the rollout, Nigeria becomes the seventh ECOWAS country to adopt the biometric card, a project first initiated over a decade ago.
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