ECOWAS Biometric Card To Ease Cross-Border Travel, Boost Regional Trade

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the ECOWAS Commission have highlighted the benefits of the newly launched ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC), saying it will facilitate cross-border movement, strengthen identity management and promote regional trade.

The stakeholders spoke at a media sensitisation workshop in Lagos on Thursday, where they called for greater public awareness of the biometric card and how it will support free and secure movement across ECOWAS member states.

The ENBIC, which costs N35,000, is designed to support the implementation of the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol, improve migration governance and strengthen regional cooperation.

Speaking at the event, ECOWAS Director of Free Movement of Persons, Migration and Tourism, Obinna Ajugwo, said the card was an important part of the bloc’s regional integration agenda.

He said the increasing movement of people across member states had also created challenges around identity management, irregular migration and cross-border crime, making a harmonised biometric identification system necessary.

“The ENBIC is not just a card. It is a symbol of belonging. It is a tool for inclusion. And most importantly, it is an enabler of safe, secure, and efficient movement across our region,” Ajugwo said.

He added that the initiative would facilitate the right to free movement, strengthen border management, improve security cooperation and promote economic and social integration.

Ajugwo, however, stressed that the success of the initiative would depend not only on technology and policy but also on public trust and accurate information, urging the media to help Nigerians understand the card and its benefits.

The Head of IOM Sub-office, Lagos, Ali Ali Ibrahim, said the ENBIC aligns with the ECOWAS Protocol on Free Movement of Persons, Residence and Establishment, as well as the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

According to him, the card would strengthen identity systems, improve regular migration pathways, enhance border management and promote cooperation among West African countries.

He said the success of ENBIC should be measured not only by the number of cards issued but by its impact on safer mobility, regional integration, economic opportunities and the experience of citizens travelling across ECOWAS borders.

Also speaking, the Assistant Comptroller General of the NIS in charge of Passports and Other Travel Documents, T. O. Olaiya, described the deployment of ENBIC as a major step in regional integration.

Olaiya said the card would facilitate the legitimate and seamless movement of ECOWAS citizens while allowing immigration authorities to maintain the security and integrity of Nigeria’s borders.

She also urged the media to provide accurate information on the card, including its eligibility requirements and how it can simplify cross-border travel.

“Misinformation at points of entry benefits no one, and that is why your role as journalists and media influencers is indispensable to the acceptability and success of this project,” she said.