The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it will introduce V-Pass, a biometric facial recognition system, across domestic airports to improve passenger processing, security and overall travel experience.
While announcing the development in a post on X on Thursday, the authority said the technology will enable passengers to verify their identities through facial recognition after a one-time enrolment, reducing reliance on physical identification documents.
“With a simple one-time enrolment, passengers can verify their identity through facial recognition, reducing reliance on physical ID documents, enhancing security, and shortening queues through automated e-Gates,” the post reads.
“Built with data privacy at its core and compliant with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), V-Pass is another step in FAAN’s commitment to delivering smarter, technology-driven airport services.”
Speaking in a video posted by the authority, Adebola Agunbiade, FAAN’s director of commercial and business development, said the initiative is part of the agency’s broader digital transformation programme aimed at improving airport operations, safety and security.
“What V-Pass is going to do is everyone using the airport to board a flight will be recognised using biometrics,” the director said.
“There will no longer be a need to present a physical ID at check-in or at the boarding gate. We are going to have e-gates in our domestic airports now. So once a passenger checks in and arrives at the e-gate, they will be identified through facial recognition.
“That means passengers who have enrolled on the V-Pass platform will not need to carry physical identification documents to the airport. Their face becomes their identity.”
Agunbiade said the system will strengthen security by providing a more reliable method of verifying the identity of passengers travelling through domestic airports.
The director added that the platform will also help FAAN and airlines maintain a more comprehensive database of passengers, improving operational efficiency and supporting better airport management.
