WEST Africa is one of Africa’s most mobile regions. Intra-regional migration represents a large part of its cross-border movements, and has widely been recognised as key to the region’s economic growth and stability. Therefore, the need to facilitate bona fide movement and restrict irregular border crossing, to tackle subsequent security challenges, is of increased importance to the ECOWAS Commission and its Member States.
Despite the laudable implementation of the ENBIC by these West African countries in the last ten years, the ENBIC project in the region has not been too successful and effective due to the absence and the non-implementation by Nigeria which has 60-70% of ECOWAS population.
The implementation of the Biometric Smart Card is an ECOWAS obligation that was adopted in 2014 by the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government. Senegal, on 4th October 2016, became the first country to start issuing the cards, followed by Guinea Bissau, Ghana, Benin, The Gambia, and Sierra Leone.
The ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) is the official travel document for the region. The ENBIC is not only replacing the ECOWAS handwritten Travel Certificate, which is currently in use as only the travel document that requires a resident card after ninety days stay in any of the Member countries but it (ENBIC) will also be used as both a travel document and resident card for citizens currently residing in any of the Member Countries.
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The ENBIC is aimed at improving movement of citizens across borders in the subregion. The card will also serve as a residency permit, a passport at the airports, and also as proof of identity for the bearers.
Despite the laudable implementation of the ENBIC by these West African countries in the last ten years, the ENBIC project in the region has not been too successful and effective due to the absence and the non-implementation by Nigeria which has 60-70% of ECOWAS population.
There have been concerns over the ease with which foreigners access Nigeria’s borders. Criminalities such as violent attacks on villages by gunmen are often blamed on foreigners, but now, with Nigeria joining the fray, it will surely be a big boost and beneficial to the region. As nobody can cross borders of other countries without the ECOWAS Identity Card.
Within these past ten years, Nigerians, both at home and those residing in these Member countries, had waited anxiously for the implementation of the ENBIC by previous governments, but that never happened until now that the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is ensuring the project’s completion.
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The recent commissioning of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex (BATTIC), which houses several critical components that include ECOWAS Biometric Identity Card Centre, which is responsible for the production and distribution of the Card is a welcome development and also, an indication by the government to set a new benchmark in the use of technology to protect its borders and enhance national security.
Furthermore, this will improve migration data exchange, travel document harmonisation and combat security challenges such as banditry, insurgency, cybercrimes, smuggling and other trans-border related challenges that usually go undetected.
There have been concerns over the ease with which foreigners access Nigeria’s borders. Criminalities such as violent attacks on villages by gunmen are often blamed on foreigners, but now, with Nigeria joining the fray, it will surely be a big boost and beneficial to the region. As nobody can cross borders of other countries without the ECOWAS Identity Card.
With the ECOWAS Identity Card implementation, Nigeria is improving tremendously in her trading activities thereby increasing not only her total output of goods and services but creating positive changes in the social, institutional and structural relationships of her people.
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This will also facilitate ease of movement, residency and the right to do business in any country of the sub-region without the risk of compromising the national security of the host country.
Furthermore, this will improve migration data exchange, travel document harmonisation and combat security challenges such as banditry, insurgency, cybercrimes, smuggling and other trans-border related challenges that usually go undetected.
In the next few years, the Card will redefine the face of travel and will have a lasting impact on the region and its people.
Ibrahim writes from No 50, Lokoja/Gwari Road, Kaduna, Kaduna State.
