To revamp the Nigeria’s motor vehicle administration, the Federal Road Safety Corps has announced the introduction of a contactless biometric capture system for driver’s licence issuance.
This process would mark a significant shift toward digitalisation in Nigeria.
This is coming as the FRSC recently launched its 2025 Ember Months Road Safety Campaign aimed at reducing road accidents especially in the festivity season.
The campaign which is tagged, “Tech Responsibility for Your Safety: Stop Distracted Driving,” the agency said became imperative to reduce road accident in the country.
The Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed, explained that the new licence system would eliminate delay and remove the bottleneck of temporary documentation.
According to him, “We have activated plans to overcome the perennial challenges associated with delays in obtaining the drivers licence and number plates. Our printing facility has been upgraded to print an average of 15,000 driver’s licence daily.
“This production average will be increased to clear the backlog before the second week of November 2025,” Mohammed said.
He further announced that the FRSC was “about to commence the contactless biometric capture with on-spot printing of the licence, which will eliminate temporary licences thereby signaling the beginning of digitalised one-stop-shop for processing driver’s licence.
“With this development, it is expected that delays and other challenges related to the national driver’s licence will be history.”
The corps marshal explained that the new system was developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including state governments.
He said, “Globally, we have seen how driver’s licence has been obtained. As soon as you come, you get the driver’s licence. What matters is the comprehensive data, the adequate data that will be stored for usage at any given time.”
He further explained that the system would fully integrate existing driving school, Vehicle Inspection Office, and certification processes, but with a faster and streamlined approach.
“We are almost through with the process. It is no longer going to be the process of putting hands on the biometric. This one is contactless biometric. It doesn’t take time, and also, it captures all the essence required,” he said.
According to him, the entire process, from application to licence issuance, will become immediate upon capture.
“We are almost through with the process. It is no longer going to be the process of putting hands on the biometric. This one is contactless biometric. It doesn’t take time, and also, it captures all the essence required,” he said.
He said the new process is also synchronised with the National Identification Number database, ensuring data consistency and seamless identity verification.
He described the new contactless fingerprint system as “seamless,” saying it allows biometric data to be captured without physical contact, using advanced technology that reads fingerprints from a short distance.
Also, the Deputy Corps Marshal in charge of Motor Vehicle Administration, Aliyu Datsama, confirmed that the contactless system is already operational and will be rolled out across the country, including Lagos.
He said, “We are now working 24/7 to clear the remaining backlog. Our current daily production capacity is 40,000 licences, and by the grace of God, we will clear everything in the next few weeks,” he stated.
