The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has launched a biometric facial recognition platform, V-Pass, designed to enable passengers travelling through domestic airports to verify their identities without presenting physical identification documents.
The authority announced the initiative on Thursday via its official X account, describing the platform as part of its digital transformation drive to enhance security, streamline passenger processing and improve the travel experience at Nigerian airports.
According to FAAN, passengers will be required to complete a one-time registration on the V-Pass platform. Once enrolled, their identities will be authenticated through facial recognition technology at automated electronic gates installed at domestic airport terminals.
Speaking in a video released by the authority, FAAN’s Director of Commercial and Business Development, Adebola Joy Agunbiade, said the innovation would simplify airport procedures by replacing the need for physical identification during check-in and boarding.
She explained that passengers registered on the platform would only need their facial biometrics to access airport facilities and complete boarding formalities.
“Passengers will no longer need to present physical identity cards at check-in or when boarding. Once I have checked in for my flight and arrive at the e-gate, the system recognises me through my facial biometrics,” Agunbiade said.
She added that even if a traveller forgets an identification card at home, enrolment on the V-Pass platform would be sufficient for identity verification.
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“As long as I have completed my registration on the V-Pass platform, my face becomes my identification,” she stated.
Agunbiade noted that beyond making travel more convenient, the biometric system would strengthen airport security by providing a more reliable method of passenger identification while reducing queues and easing movement through airport terminals.
She also said the initiative would enable FAAN and domestic airlines to maintain a more comprehensive and accurate database of air travellers.
FAAN assured passengers that the V-Pass platform was developed in compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), with safeguards in place to protect users’ personal information and privacy.
The authority, however, did not announce a timeline for the nationwide rollout of the facial recognition technology across domestic airports or indicate when passenger registration would officially begin.