Nigeria’s passport app with contactless biometric capture set for US, UK, Italy

Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and some of his collaborators recently held talks with officials in the UK to discuss partnership regarding the launch of the biometric passport application system for Nigerians residing in that country and others, which is planned for November 15.

Tunji-Ojo said they had discussions with the UK Home Secretary, Rt Hon Yvette Cooper, on the passport project and on ways of strengthening cooperation in the area of data security for the efficient delivery of public services.

The NIS Contactless Biometrics App is set to launch in the UK, Italy, and the United States this Friday, and the service will be made available to the rest of the world on December 1. It had gone live in Canada on November 1.

The contactless system, which enables the remote capture of face and fingerprint biometrics for passport renewal applicants, is delivered by two local companies, Iris Smart Technologies and Newworks, which have been working in collaboration with the NIS.

“In line with our initiative to extend contactless biometrics solution to the UK, having successfully launched in Canada with impressive success rate, I also led senior officials, including the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, on an oversight visit to the Nigeria High Commission. This visit reaffirms our support for the attachés working to improve our services to Nigerians abroad,” Tunji-Ojo said in a post on X.

“We discussed mutual goals to strengthen security, efficiency, and service delivery, showing our administration’s dedication to sustainable development through cooperation and shared purpose.”

The NIS, at the time, explained the functionality of the mobile application and how to use it, in an X thread.

Nigerian authorities say the contactless system is part of their efforts to streamline the passport application process for millions of citizens who have always faced challenges renewing their passports both in Nigeria and in different parts of the world.

Article Topics

biometric passport  |  biometrics  |  contactless biometrics  |  face biometrics  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  mobile app  |  Nigeria