The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has unveiled a biometric facial recognition system, known as V-Pass, to improve passenger processing at domestic airports under its management.

The authority disclosed the development in a statement posted on its official X account on Thursday.

The rollout follows the Federal Government’s approval of the biometric passenger identity verification system, VPASS, to eliminate gaps in existing passenger identification procedures and strengthen airport security.

FAAN said passengers will only need to complete a one-time enrolment before using the V-Pass system for subsequent journeys, enabling automated identity verification through facial recognition.

“The new biometric facial recognition system will make passenger processing faster, safer, and more seamless across FAAN-managed domestic airports.

“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.”

FAAN said the platform was developed with data privacy at its core and complies with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation.

It added that further updates on public sensitisation and the nationwide rollout will be communicated in due course.

The Federal Government approved the rollout of VPASS in April 2026 as part of broader aviation sector reforms aimed at improving passenger identification, security, transparency and operational efficiency.

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said the contactless biometric system would eliminate loopholes in existing passenger verification processes.

Infrastructure deployment will be handled by VERXID Technologies Limited, followed by a nationwide sensitisation campaign ahead of full implementation.

The initiative is expected to address long-standing security vulnerabilities and inefficiencies associated with manual passenger verification.

The rollout represents a significant step towards digitising passenger identity management across Nigeria’s domestic aviation sector.

The Federal Government has also been deploying electronic gates at international airports to speed up immigration clearance and strengthen border security.

The e-gates are designed to process eligible passengers in less than 30 seconds.

Eight e-gates were installed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, while 21 were planned for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos because of higher passenger traffic.

The government also announced plans to install four e-gates each at the international airports in Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt, targeting a total of 41 e-gates nationwide.

The V-Pass rollout complements these broader efforts to modernise Nigeria’s airport operations through technology-driven passenger processing.