By Our Correspondent
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) have called for intensified public awareness on the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) to build public trust and ensure Nigerians understand how the new travel credential will work.
The stakeholders made the call at a media sensitisation workshop on ENBIC held in Lagos on Wednesday, stressing that accurate information would be critical to the success of the regional identity and mobility initiative.
ENBIC is designed as a secure digital travel credential to replace the old paper-based ECOWAS travel certificate and facilitate safer, more predictable movement of people across West Africa while strengthening regional integration.
The workshop brought together officials of the NIS, ECOWAS institutions, development partners, the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and media professionals to examine the implementation process, institutional responsibilities and implications of the card for citizens exercising their right to free movement.
Speaking at the event, IOM Head of Sub-Office, Lagos, Ali Ibrahim, said ENBIC could strengthen identity assurance while helping border authorities facilitate legitimate travel more efficiently.
He said IOM would continue supporting ECOWAS and member states through the Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa Phase II project.
“As the lead implementing partner of the project, our support would include technical assistance, capacity development, operational guidance, knowledge sharing and implementation support,” Ibrahim said.
He urged journalists to provide balanced and informed coverage explaining both the benefits of free movement and measures being introduced to strengthen border governance, security and protection.
Ibrahim also urged the media to focus on communities and groups directly affected by regional mobility, including border communities, traders and young people.
He said the success of ENBIC would ultimately be measured by whether it improves citizens’ experience while contributing to safer mobility and greater economic opportunities.
ECOWAS Commission representative, Obinna Ajugwo, said the workshop came at a critical point in efforts to build a more connected and secure West African region.
Ajugwo said the initiative was endorsed by ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in response to increasing mobility and the need for stronger identity and border-management systems.
According to him, Nigeria is the seventh ECOWAS country to operationalise ENBIC, after Benin, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
He described ENBIC as more than a card, saying it was an instrument for inclusion and safe, secure and efficient movement across the region.
“However, the success of this initiative does not depend solely on technology or policy frameworks. It depends on people. It depends on trust. And it depends on information,” Ajugwo said.
Representing the Comptroller General of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, the Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration in charge of Passports and Other Travel Documents, Titilayo Olaiya, said ENBIC represented a major step in regional integration.
She said the NIS had a statutory responsibility to implement the project while maintaining the delicate balance between facilitating free movement and protecting the integrity and security of Nigeria’s borders.
Olaiya said public understanding of the card would be essential to its acceptance and effective use.
“The media remains our most critical bridge to the public,” she said, urging journalists to provide accurate information on what ENBIC is, eligibility requirements and how it would simplify cross-border travel.
She warned that misinformation at points of entry could undermine the implementation process and urged the media to equip citizens with accurate operational information.
From the transport sector, RTEAN Deputy National President, Administration, Muhammad Bishara, said the success of ENBIC would ultimately depend on the experience of ordinary travellers, commercial drivers, traders and border officials.
He said the card must move beyond policy documents and technical discussions to become something citizens could understand, obtain, use and trust.
“For the road transport sector, ENBIC must move from policy documents and technical discussions into something that citizens can understand, obtain, use and trust,” Bishara said.
He identified practical concerns requiring clear answers, including where and how the card would be obtained, applicable costs, where it could be used, border procedures, verification, replacement of lost or damaged cards and protection of personal and biometric information.
Bishara also highlighted infrastructure, connectivity, verification equipment, technical support and border capacity as issues that must be addressed for smooth implementation.
He said RTEAN was prepared to support awareness campaigns at major motor parks and transport terminals, disseminate verified information through its structures and provide feedback from drivers, operators and passengers.
He said ENBIC should facilitate legitimate movement while strengthening identity verification and border security.
The stakeholders consequently urged the media to translate the technical details of ENBIC into simple information that ordinary citizens can understand, particularly travellers, traders, commercial drivers and people living in border communities.
They stressed that public confidence, accurate information and effective implementation would be central to determining whether the biometric identity card delivers its intended benefits of safer movement, stronger regional integration and improved border management.
