The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has introduced a biometric facial recognition platform, V-Pass, to enable passengers travelling through domestic airports to verify their identities without presenting physical identification documents.
The authority announced the initiative on Thursday, describing it as part of its ongoing digital transformation aimed at improving passenger processing, strengthening security and enhancing the overall airport experience.
Under the new system, passengers will complete a one-time enrolment, after which their identities can be verified through facial recognition at automated electronic gates installed at domestic airports.
FAAN’s Director of Commercial and Business Development, Adebola Joy Agunbiade, said the platform would eliminate the need for enrolled passengers to present physical identity cards during check-in and boarding.
There’s no more going to be having to use your physical ID to go to the check-in or when it’s time to go through the boarding gate. Once I check in for my flight, I get to the e-gate, I’m recognised using my biometrics, which is my face. If I forget my ID at home, as long as I have been registered and onboarded on the V-Pass platform, I really don’t need that. My identification is my face,” she said.
Agunbiade said the technology would strengthen airport security by providing a more secure means of identifying passengers, reduce queues and improve passenger movement through domestic terminals.
She added that the system would also help FAAN and airlines maintain a more comprehensive passenger database, noting that the V-Pass platform was designed to comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation.
However, the authority did not disclose when the facial recognition system would be deployed across domestic airports or when passenger enrolment would commence.
