ECOWAS HOLDS VIRTUAL CONSULTATION WITH MEMBER STATES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A ROADMAP FROM FOUNDATIONAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS TO THE ECOWAS NATIONAL BIOMETRIC ID (ENBIC)

The ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with the World Bank as co-secretariat, on the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) Project convened a Virtual Questionnaire Presentation Meeting to develop a Roadmap from Foundational Identification (fID) Systems to the ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) on 3 February 2026. The primary objective of the meeting was to introduce Jones Day, the consulting firm engaged for the assignment, to Member States and to present the field questionnaires that will inform the development of the roadmap.

The meeting, which brought together representatives of National Identity Issuing Authorities and Immigration Agencies of ECOWAS Member States, took place against the backdrop of ongoing digital identification reforms in the region, including the implementation of the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) Programme in selected Member States.

On behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, the Director of Free Movement of Persons and Migration and Project Coordinator of the WURI Project, welcomed participants and indicated that the ECOWAS  Commission continues to emphasize the importance of avoiding the proliferation of multiple regional identity credentials while promoting interoperability and coherence between national digital ID systems and the ENBIC.

In his opening address, the Chairperson, Mr. Alieu Kallon, Director of Information and Communication Technology from the Sierra Leone National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), provided an overview of the ENBIC initiative, highlighting its current status within the region. He reiterated that the primary purpose of the ENBIC is to facilitate the free movement of ECOWAS citizens across Member States. He noted that, to date, only a limited number of countries have deployed the ENBIC, while other Member States are at various stages of preparation and rollout.

Participants were invited to facilitate coordination at the national level and ensure the timely consolidation of responses. The ECOWAS Commission underscored that the effective participation of Member States is essential to the successful development of a practical and regionally aligned roadmap that supports interoperability, avoids the proliferation of multiple identity credentials, and strengthens the implementation of the ECOWAS free movement regime.

The meeting further provided a platform to offer guidance on completing the virtual questionnaires and to address questions, comments, and clarifications from Member State representatives.

The ENBIC, established pursuant to Decision A/DEC/01/12/14, serves as a key instrument for facilitating the free movement of Community citizens, proof of identity, and residence within the ECOWAS space. In recent years, several Member States have expanded the functionality of the ENBIC as a travel document which has replaced the handwritten Travel Certificate, to include additional services such as national identification, access to financial services, and e-commerce.