Digital driver’s license for Nigerians requires biometrics-backed NIN

Drivers in Nigeria will soon be able to have a digital driver’s license in a move that is part of efforts by authorities of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to make the digital ID document safe from theft and fraud.

Corps Marshal Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi reiterated the move recently as he spoke to zonal commanding officers in the capital Abuja at a meeting aimed at promoting road safety, Vanguard reports.

According to the FRSC official, the introduction of the digital driver’s license, which will be optional from the beginning, aligns with the federal government’s ambitions of transforming Nigeria’s economy into a digital one, and to make life much easier for citizens as they go about their day-to-day transactions with digital ID.

Procuring the digital license will require the presentation of the biometrics-backed national identification number (NIN), Vanguard notes, and it replaces the inconveniences and costs involved in the production of the current format of the automobile documents.

“As it has been announced earlier, without the NIN, no one can obtain the Nigerian Drivers Licence again. The corps will no longer transact business with an individual or group, without the new prescribed federal government identification regime,” the FRSC Marshal was quoted by Vanguard.

Nigerians are required to have a NIN for a range of government functions and services, though only 42 million Nigerians had registered for the biometric digital ID as of last September.

Dr. Oyeyemi was also cited as saying the FRSC intends to work in synergy with the relevant government departments and agencies in order to make sure the production process of the digital document is successful.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  driver's license  |  identity document  |  identity management  |  mobile app  |  national ID  |  Nigeria