Nigeria incorporating contactless fingerprints for online passport renewal

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) says it will soon enter an era where the application process for renewing passports will be done entirely online, including the confirmation of biometrics. This will be done through a dedicated NIS app which will require the creation of a profile and enable the submission of contactless fingerprint and face biometrics with verification using the National Identification Number (NIN).

The system is expected to rollout in April 2025. There have been previously announced failed launch dates for the passport project, which began pre-deployment tests without the biometric capture capability at the end of last year.

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said in an X thread on October 5 that he presided over a meeting in collaboration with the NIS, to make a preview of the new system to be introduced.

Those who took part in the discussions included representatives from government, civil society organizations, the media and actors from the tech space.

The Minister said during the meeting, they collected feedback from several stakeholders which they plan to incorporate into the system for seamless functioning when it shall be launched in the coming months, according to Premium Times.

He also revealed that Iris Smart Technologies, which holds a once-threatened contract to produce the country’s biometric passports, and Newworks Solutions are the technology providers working with the NIS.

Tunji-Ojo said the new system involves “cutting-edge technology” which “enhances the passport acquisition process by allowing eligible applicants to initiate and complete their applications seamlessly from the comfort of their homes or workplaces on their mobile devices.”

“This new feature is undoubtedly a game-changer, and we are eager to fully roll it out in our new passport regime. Our goal remains to transform our systems and methods to align with global best practices, setting the pace for other nations to follow without compromising national security,” the minister added.

After the review, feedback obtained from the cross section of stakeholders will be crucial in fine-tuning the system which he says will first be launched for people in the diaspora, said Tunji-Ojo.

Authorities say once it goes live, passport applicants seeking renewal will be able to apply for the document and have it delivered to their home without having to visit any NIS office in person.

The Interior Ministry and NIS reiterated that the project is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda which seeks to make life easier for Nigerians.

The introduction of the contactless biometric capture system for passport renewal is part of other announced reforms in that sector, one of which is the passport processing time which had bene brought down to just 24 to 48 hours following the submission of an application, says the Interior Minister.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometric passport  |  biometrics  |  contactless biometrics  |  digital government  |  Iris Smart Technologies  |  mobile app  |  Nigeria