Nigeria embraces DTCs amid talks on passport-free travel in Africa

The Nigerian federal government has unveiled its intention to adopt digital travel credentials (DTCs), in a bid to streamline the air travel experience, reduce bureaucratic delays, and enhance security measures for travelers.

Minister of Interior Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced the move at the training program on Advanced Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record API/PNR at the headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.

He described the training as timely, noting that it aims to offer comprehensive knowledge on API/PNR standards, best practices, and implementation strategies to enhance border security in Nigeria.

According to a recent report by The Nation, the DTC coupled with the biometric gates installed in the country’s international airports would take 14 seconds to clear Nigerians coming back into the country, with Tunji-Ojo predicting that Nigerians “will be able to have that sense of fulfillment that being a Nigerian is not a function of endurance but of enjoyment.”

At the start of the year, it was reported that the project aims to deliver a total of 40 e-verification gates across multiple airports by the end of the first quarter. These installations include 10 gates in Abuja, 17 in Lagos, five in Kano, and four each in Enugu and Port-Harcourt.

The development aligns with broader efforts in Africa to rethink traditional travel mechanisms. As highlighted in an article on Africa Business, there is a growing conversation about the potential for passport-free travel on the continent, supported by advanced biometric technologies. These systems, which include facial recognition and fingerprint scanning, promise to make cross-border movement more efficient and less cumbersome.

In an interview with Africa Business, Willys Mac’Olale, director of Fragomen Kenya, highlighted the potential benefits and risks associated with adopting facial recognition and passport-less travel in Africa.

Mac’Olale mentions that the transition will also come with its own set of challenges. The integration of biometric systems into existing infrastructure, ensuring data privacy, and achieving interoperability across borders are issues that need addressing. He adds that the use of biometric data raises significant concerns about privacy as in several African countries, data protection laws are still developing.

With that being said, Mac’Olale highlights companies like Smile Identity, who are putting in the work as a biometric identity verification service that can be integrated into immigration systems to verify the identities of travelers.

DTC pilots, meanwhile, continue around the world.

Article Topics

ABC gates  |  Africa  |  biometrics  |  contactless biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital travel credentials  |  facial recognition  |  interoperability  |  Nigeria  |  Smile Identity