The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN says domestic air travellers in Nigeria will soon enjoy faster and more secure airport processing with the introduction of a new biometric identity verification system known as V-Pass.
The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Henry Agbebire, in a statement, says the technology, developed in partnership with Verxid Technologies Limited, will allow passengers to verify their identities through facial recognition, reducing dependence on physical identity cards and speeding up movement through airport checkpoints.
He explains that under the system, Nigerian passengers will complete a one-time registration using their National Identification Number and facial biometrics, while foreign travellers will enrol with their international passports and biometric authentication.
Mr. Agbebire says passengers will be verified before entering restricted areas and again at the boarding gate, a process designed to curb impersonation, identity fraud and unauthorized access while strengthening aviation security.
According to him, the biometric process will take less than thirty seconds after enrolment, while self-service kiosks, e-gates and trained FAAN personnel will assist passengers during the transition, helping to reduce queues and improve passenger flow across domestic terminals.
He notes that the platform will also provide airlines with secure access to operational data, while FAAN’s Central Management System will monitor passenger movement and support future integration with other airport technologies.
The FAAN spokesman assures travellers that the system complies with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, with passenger information securely protected and not stored on kiosks or handheld devices.
He adds that before the nationwide rollout, FAAN will embark on an extensive public awareness campaign through television, radio, social media, airport announcements and airline advisories, alongside a live demonstration and technical assessment, describing V-Pass as a key step in FAAN’s drive to build a smarter, safer and more efficient airport system.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen