FAAN Partners Verxid to Launch “V-Pass” Biometric System for Seamless Domestic Travel

In a decisive move to modernise passenger processing and fortify airport security, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is set to roll out V-Pass—a cutting-edge biometric identity verification system designed to make domestic air travel faster, safer, and entirely seamless.

Developed in strategic partnership with M/S Verxid Technologies Limited, the initiative marks a significant leap forward in Nigeria’s aviation infrastructure.

By leveraging facial recognition technology, the system aims to eliminate the traditional bottleneck of physical identity checks at domestic terminals.

During a high-level strategic review meeting between FAAN and Verxid Technologies, both parties finalised deployment timelines, security protocols, and operational strategies to ensure a hitch-free passenger experience.

According to Adebola Agunbiade, FAAN’s Director of Commercial and Business Development, V-Pass is a core component of the authority’s broader digital transformation agenda.

“This initiative underscores our unwavering commitment to utilising modern technology to improve passenger facilitation and elevate aviation security across our domestic airports,” Ms Agunbiade stated.

V-Pass establishes a secure digital identity for travellers through a hassle-free, one-time enrollment process.

Registration is linked directly to the National Identification Number (NIN) alongside a facial biometric capture.

Enrollment is completed using international passports via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and biometric authentication.

Spokesman for FAAN, Mr Henry Agbebire, in a statement, said that to prevent impersonation and unauthorised access, the system utilises a dual-verification process. Passengers will be biometrically scanned at two critical checkpoints: before entering restricted security areas and right before boarding.

Designed with operational efficiency in mind, V-Pass promises to drastically reduce terminal congestion.

The developer notes that once registered, biometric processing at checkpoints will take less than 30 seconds, while the initial registration takes only about one minute.

Passengers can independently enrol and verify their details, with trained FAAN personnel on standby to assist.

Air carriers will gain secure, real-time access to flight schedules, passenger manifests, and boarding statistics through a unified digital platform.

Addressing potential privacy concerns, both FAAN and Verxid emphasised that data protection is baked into the system’s architecture.

The V-Pass platform is fully compliant with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). To guarantee maximum security, no passenger data will be stored locally on terminal kiosks or handheld verification devices, neutralising the risk of localised data breaches.

Before V-Pass goes live across domestic terminals, FAAN and Verxid will embark on a comprehensive, nationwide public sensitisation campaign.

The campaign will run across television, radio, social media, airport public address systems, and airline travel advisories to ensure the flying public is fully educated on how to use the system.

Additionally, FAAN will conduct a live Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstration and a rigorous technical site assessment at selected pilot airports to fine-tune the system before its official, nationwide rollout.

Wole Shadare