The Federal Authorities has launched the ECOWAS Nationwide Biometric Id Card (ENBIC) to boost regional integration, enhance identification administration, and strengthen safety throughout West Africa.
The official inauguration happened on Friday in Abuja underneath the theme: “ENBIC: Enhancing Regional Integration and Safety.”
The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, mentioned the cardboard represented the fulfilment of President Bola Tinubu’s imaginative and prescient for environment friendly border administration and regional safety.
“The cardboard supplies the inspiration for extra environment friendly identification throughout borders, an important element in combating insecurity,” Tunji-Ojo mentioned,
In accordance with the minister, the rollout, which started 11 years in the past, had now been actualised underneath the present administration. Noting that Nigeria is the seventh ECOWAS nation to deploy the cardboard, and its introduction is a serious step towards higher migration administration.
The ENBIC was adopted by the management of {Economic} Group of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2014. The primary nation to start issuing the biometric card was Senegal, on 4 October 2016.
As of mid‑2023, solely six of the 15 ECOWAS member states had totally deployed ENBIC. The international locations that at present assist and problem ENBIC are: Senegal; Guinea‑Bissau; Ghana; Benin; The Gambia; Sierra Leone; Nigeria, making the seventh within the checklist.
ENBIC was launched to interchange the previous handwritten ECOWAS Journey Certificates. Underneath the brand new association, the biometric card is meant to function a regional ID, journey doc, and residence allow for residents of ECOWAS member states.
The biometric card embeds an digital chip that shops biometric and biographical knowledge (photograph, fingerprints, date and homeland, and many others.) to allow safe identification verification, cut back fraud and make journey inside‑area journey simpler.
Tunji-Ojo defined that the biometric card will assist authorized migration inside ECOWAS and cut back irregular actions, noting that higher migration administration additionally creates {economic} alternatives and improves safety.
He mentioned the following step could be integrating the cardboard into the Public Key Listing of the Worldwide Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to permit seamless verification in any respect entry factors.
“The ENBIC will assist intelligence gathering and supply safety businesses with dependable knowledge wanted to guard residents,” he mentioned.
He highlighted that the initiative would additionally cut back stress on the passport system, as Nigerians touring solely inside ECOWAS will not want worldwide passports, easing motion for merchants and small enterprise homeowners.
The minister added that the federal government is exploring a regional migration database in collaboration with ECOWAS states, just like the Schengen system, to additional strengthen cross-border safety.
Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Comptroller-Common, Kemi Nandap, described ENBIC as a landmark initiative demonstrating Nigeria’s dedication to strengthening regional cooperation.
“The brand new journey doc encompasses a safe biometric system geared toward facilitating authorized motion, selling tourism, commerce, and funding, whereas strengthening border administration,” Nandap mentioned.
She highlighted the anticipated advantages of the cardboard, together with enhanced regional safety, improved border processing, safer journey, elevated tourism and funding, and deeper regional integration and cooperation.
The NIS CG additionally acknowledged ECOWAS Ambassadors, improvement companions together with UN-IOM, EU, ICMPD, GIZ, UNIDO, in addition to safety businesses, media, and different stakeholders for his or her assist in delivering the challenge.
