The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced plans to introduce V-Pass, a biometric identity verification system aimed at making domestic air travel faster, safer and more efficient. GeographicReference
FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, said the authority had partnered with Verxid Technologies Limited to deploy the system, which will enable passengers to verify their identities through facial recognition, reducing reliance on physical identity documents at airports.
He said the rollout plan was reviewed during a strategic meeting between FAAN and Verxid, where both parties discussed deployment, security measures and strategies to enhance passenger experience.
FAAN’s Director of Commercial and Business Development, Ms Adebola Agunbiade, said the initiative reflects the authority’s commitment to deploying technology to improve passenger facilitation and strengthen aviation security across domestic airports.
Under the scheme, passengers will receive a secure digital identity through a one-time enrolment process.Powered by VidCrunch
Nigerian travellers will register using their National Identification Number (NIN) alongside facial biometric capture, while foreign passengers will enrol with their international passports through Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and biometric authentication.
The system will verify passengers before they enter restricted airport areas and again before boarding their flights. FAAN said the dual-verification process is designed to prevent impersonation, unauthorised access and identity fraud, while improving the accuracy of passenger authentication.
During the rollout, passengers will be able to use self-service kiosks or receive assistance from FAAN personnel. Electronic gates will automate access to restricted areas, reduce queues and improve passenger movement within terminals.
According to the developers, biometric verification will take less than 30 seconds after enrolment, while first-time registration is expected to be completed in about one minute.
The V-Pass platform will also provide airlines with secure access to flight schedules, passenger manifests and boarding statistics through a digital interface.
FAAN said the system includes a Central Management System to monitor passenger movement, generate operational analytics and support future integration with other airport technologies.
The authority and Verxid assured passengers that data privacy is a key component of the project. They said the system complies with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), while passenger information will not be stored on kiosks or handheld devices.
Source: The Nation
