The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has directed member states to begin accepting its National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) at all official border crossing points from January 1, 2027, in a move expected to simplify travel, strengthen regional integration and improve cross-border movement.
The decision, adopted through the Freetown Declaration at the 10th Annual Meeting of ECOWAS Heads of Immigration in Sierra Leone, requires all member countries to recognise valid biometric identity cards issued by any member state as sufficient proof of identity and Community citizenship.
The agreement, reached at the November 3 and 4 meeting, applies even to countries that have yet to commence the issuance of the card to their own citizens.
Under the arrangement, immigration authorities across the region are expected to establish the administrative and technical mechanisms required to recognise and verify the biometric cards issued by other member states.
The declaration also directs countries to sensitise immigration officers, provide clear operational guidelines and equip border posts with the necessary technology to authenticate the documents.
According to the ECOWAS Commission, the commitment is intended to strengthen the implementation of the bloc’s free movement protocol by translating regional agreements into practical benefits for travellers, traders and border communities.
The Commission said member states were also expected to work with their national identity management authorities to ensure wider coverage of the biometric card, including citizens living in border communities and those residing abroad.
The declaration further requires the card to remain affordable and accessible, with its issuance linked to national civil registration systems.
It also calls on member states to submit their national implementation plans, including target dates, to the ECOWAS Commission by December 2030.
To ensure compliance, the regional body has been asked to finalise common technical specifications, establish a regional verification mechanism and operationalise its monitoring and evaluation committee to track implementation and acceptance of the card across member states.
The development comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to strengthen its border management infrastructure and implement the regional biometric identity system.
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap, told the Freetown meeting that Nigeria was implementing the ENBIC through its locally developed Border Control and Immigration Management System (BCIMS).
She disclosed that mobile verification devices connected to the system were being deployed at border crossing points, while arrangements were also underway to extend issuance of the biometric card to Nigerians in the diaspora.
Nandap reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to regional cooperation in migration management, stressing the need to balance the facilitation of legitimate movement with effective border security.
The Nigeria Immigration Service had earlier identified inconsistent recognition and acceptance of the biometric card among member states as one of the major obstacles to its effective implementation.
At the meeting, immigration chiefs also called for stronger engagement with transport operators and formal communication of the card’s recognition as a valid travel document across the region.
In a goodwill message, the Chief of Mission of the International Organisation for Migration in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Sharon Dimanche, said the success of regional integration should be measured by the experience of travellers at border crossing points.
She noted that recognising travel documents, harmonising procedures and improving border services would facilitate legitimate movement, protect livelihoods and strengthen security.
Similarly, the ECOWAS Commission’s Director of Free Movement of Persons and Migration, Albert Siaw-Boateng, stressed that the effectiveness of the regional free movement protocol depended largely on how member states translated their commitments into practical implementation.
The meeting, held under the theme, “From Policy to Practice: Deepening Regional Integration through Harmonised Migration and Border Management in ECOWAS,” brought together heads of immigration from member countries, representatives of the ECOWAS Commission and the International Organisation for Migration.
The Heads of Immigration agreed to review progress in implementing the Freetown Declaration at subsequent meetings.
