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ECOWAS National Biometric ldentity Card As A Game Changer
by Ahmad Ibrahim
West Africa is one of the Africa’s most mobile regions. Intra – regional
migration represents a large part of its cross – border movements, and
has widely been recognized as a key to the region’s economic growth and stability.
Therefore, the need to facilitate bona fide movement and restrict irregular border crossing, to tackle subsequent security
challenges, is of increased importance to the ECOWAS Commission and its Members States.
The implementation of the Biometric Smart Card is an ECOWAS obligation that was adopted in the year 2014 by the ECOWAS Heads of States and Governments.
Senegal on the 4th October 2016 became
the first Country to start issuing the cards, followed by Guinea Bissau, Ghana, Benin, The Gambia, Sierra Leone.
The ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) is the
official travel document for the region.
The ENBIC is replacing the ECOWAS hand written Travel Certificate which is currently in use as only a travel document that requires a resident card after ninety days
stay in any of the Member Countries but the ENBIC will be use as a travel document and also as a residential card for citizens currently residing in any of the Member Countries.
The ENBIC is aim at improving movement of citizens across borders in the subregion.
The card will also serve as a residency permit, a passport at the airports, and also as proof of identity for the bearers but
despite the laudable implementation of the ENBIC by these West African Countries in the last ten years, the ENBIC project in the region has not been too successful and effective due to the absence and the
non – implementation by Nigeria which has 60 to 70% ECOWAS Population.
Within these past ten years, Nigerians both at home and those residing
in these Member Countries had wait anxiously for the implementation
of the ENBIC by previous governments, but that never happened until now that the present administration of President Tinubu ensure the project completion.
The recent commissioning of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology
Innovation Complex (BATTIC) which houses several critical components that include ECOWAS Biometric Identity Card Center, which is responsible for the production and distribution of the Card is
a welcome development and also, an indication by the government to
set a new benchmark in the use of technology to protect its borders and
enhance national security.
There have been concerns over the ease with which foreigners access
the Nigeria borders. Criminalities such as violent attacks on villages by
gunmen are often blamed on foreigners, but now, with Nigeria joining
the fray, it will surely be a big boost and beneficial to the region. As
nobody can cross borders of other countries without the ECOWAS
Identity Card.
With the ECOWAS Identity Card implementation, Nigeria is
improving tremendously in her trading activities thereby increasing not
only her total output of goods and services but creating a positive changes in the social, institutional and structural relationships of with people.
This will also facilitate travel movements, residency and the right to do business in any country of the sub region without the risk of compromising the National security of the host country.
This will improve migration data exchange, travel document harmonization and to
combat security challenges such as banditry, insurgency, cybercrimes,
smuggling and other trans – border related challenges that will usually
go undetected.
In the next few years, the Card will redefine the face of travel and will
have a lasting impact on the region and its people.
Ahmad Ibrahim writes from No 50, Lokoja/Gwari Road, Kaduna,
Kaduna State.
