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ECOWAS National Biometric ldentity Card – A Game Change
by Ahmad Ibrahim
West Africa is one of Africa’s most mobile regions. Intra – regional migration represents a large part of its cross – border movements, and has widely been recognized as 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 now 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 now the ENBIC will be use as a travel document and also as a resident 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 a proof of identity for the bearers. Despite the laudable implementation of the ENBIC by these West African Countries in the last ten years, the ENBIC project 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 the previous Nigerian governments, but that never happened until now that the present administration of President Tinubu ensure the project completion.
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The commissioning of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex (BATTIC) which houses the several critical components that include the ECOWAS Biometric Identity Card Center, which is responsible for the production and distribution of the Card is a welcome development and it is 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 mutual beneficial to the region, as nobody would be able to cross the borders of other countries without the ECOWAS Identity Card.
With the implementation of the ECOWAS Identity Card, Nigeria is improving tremendously in her trading activities in the region, thereby increasing not only her total output of goods and services but creating a positive changes in the social, institutional and structural relationships of her people. This will also facilitate the 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.
It will improve migration data exchange, travel document harmonization and
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, trade and will have a lasting impact on the region and its people.
Ahmad Ibrahim writes from No 50, Lokoja/Gwari Road, Kaduna, Kaduna State.
