The Federal Government has launched the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC), a groundbreaking regional digital identity credential designed to tighten border security, curb irregular migration, and enhance identity verification across West Africa.
Unveiling the card in Abuja, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said the initiative marks a major stride in modernising identity management and advancing seamless regional mobility. He credited President Bola Tinubu’s directive for fast-tracking the long-delayed project.
According to the minister, the ENBIC is interoperable with international public key infrastructure systems, enabling stronger intelligence gathering and more efficient border control. The card, he added, is also recognised as a valid travel document within the ECOWAS sub-region.
“If you are travelling only within ECOWAS, you no longer need a passport. This card is sufficient for all regional travel,” Tunji-Ojo said. “With ENBIC, Nigeria is not only strengthening its borders but reaffirming its leadership in a region pursuing safer mobility, deeper integration, and a digitally driven future.”
He linked the rollout to ongoing reforms such as 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 long-standing commitment to regional integration.
He recalled that the technical framework for ENBIC was adopted at an ECOWAS summit in Abuja in 2014.
“In our hands is a simple card, but in our hearts lies a profound hope,” Akume said. “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 fast-track their own implementation processes, harmonise national identity systems to achieve full interoperability, and encouraged the private sector—especially fintech firms—to innovate services on the platform.
Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, noted that ENBIC replaces the outdated paper travel certificate and is built on advanced biometric and cryptographic technologies that meet both ECOWAS and ICAO standards.
She said the card’s high-quality facial and fingerprint biometrics will enhance verification, reduce document fraud, and help dismantle cross-border criminal networks, while boosting trade, labour mobility, tourism, and regional cooperation.
In a message, ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray applauded Nigeria’s leadership and revealed that ECOWAS forces are currently deployed in Guinea-Bissau to stabilise the country. He added that the rollout of ENBIC is part of broader plans to establish a fully integrated regional biometric identity ecosystem.
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