The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is pressing ahead with the rollout of V-Pass, a biometric identity verification system intended to let domestic passengers clear airport checks with their faces rather than physical ID documents. The deployment got its government green light in April, when Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council approved the contactless verification system for the country’s airports.
Developed with Verxid Technologies Limited, the system gives travelers a secure digital identity through a one-time enrolment. Nigerian passengers will register using their National Identification Number (NIN), the unique identifier at the heart of an identity system whose enrolment drive Nigeria has intensified under its new NIMC Act, together with a facial biometric capture, while foreign passengers will enrol with international passports through optical character recognition and biometric authentication. Once enrolled, passengers are verified twice: before entering restricted areas and again before boarding, a dual check meant to prevent impersonation, unauthorized access, and identity fraud.
FAAN and Verxid reviewed deployment plans, security measures, and passenger experience considerations at a recent strategic meeting. The developers say biometric processing will take less than 30 seconds after enrolment, with first-time registration taking about one minute, and self-service kiosks and staffed assistance will both be available during the rollout. Electronic gates will automate access to controlled areas to reduce queues, while airlines gain secure access to flight schedules, passenger manifests, and boarding statistics through a digital platform. FAAN itself will operate a central management system that tracks passenger movement and generates analytics.
The agency says the system complies with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, and that passenger data will not be stored on kiosks or handheld devices. Before full deployment, FAAN and Verxid plan a live proof-of-concept demonstration and technical site assessment, along with a nationwide sensitization campaign across television, radio, social media, airport announcements, and airline advisories.
FAAN frames V-Pass as part of a broader digital transformation agenda for the country’s airports, pairing biometric technology with modern access control across domestic terminals. No firm go-live date has been announced; the proof-of-concept demonstration and site assessments will come first.
Sources: Premium Times
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By Ali Nassar-Smith
