Nigerian Harmonized ECOWAS Electronic Smart Passport

Country:  Nigeria
City:  Lagos

Background

 

• Unreliable identification of passport applicants
• Prevention of attempted fraud in respect of conventional paper identification documents, and repeated issuance of several passports to the same person
• The necessity to enhance immigration control procedures at border crossing points

 
Scope

 

• Formation of a system to produce, personalize, issue and manage biometric e-passports for citizens to cross the country’s borders

 
Implementation

 

• Use of two biometric credentials (a digital photo and two fingerprints)
• Storing the biometric data on a microchip embedded into the passport back cover
• Cryptographic technologies to protect the personal data of passport holders
• Contactless reading of passport data, using an RFID interface
• Holographic lamination of passports
• Formation of a central biometric database with the Central Immigration Service
• Data processing for 6 million citizens

 
Outcome

 

• Fool-proof and automated identification of passport holders
• Immigration autogates installed at border control points automatically record data on border crossings into the central database
• Secure protection of holder’s personal data against counterfeiting