Immigration Service  plans biometric cards for ECOWAS

The Controller-General of the  Immigration Service ( CGIS), Mr Mohammed Babandede, says that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) travelling certificates will soon be replaced with biometric cards.

The newly appointed spokesman of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Assistant Controller (AC) Amos Okpu, confirmed the plan to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Monday.

According to Okpu, an individual’s data will be linked with the new biometric card, a feature that the ECOWAS travelling certificate does not possess.

“The new biometric card containing all information about the user.’’

Okpu quoted the CGIS as saying that the biometric-card evolution remained cardinal to Nigeria’s security architecture and economic development.

He also said that the service would involve traditional institutions to garner more information on migration management.

“For instance, no foreigner must sojourn in the country beyond 90 days without officially registering with NIS.

“NIS will involve traditional institutions and other relevant groups and systems to garner first-hand information that will help the service in security management,’’ he said.