{
  "id": 8157560,
  "title": "ECOWAS Biometric Card Will Ease Travel, Enhance Free Trade in Member States, Say IOM, NIS, ECOWAS",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/ecowas-biometric-card-will-ease-travel-enhance-free-trade-in-member",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-18T02:44:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/09/18/ecowas-biometric-card-will-ease-travel-enhance-free-trade-in-member-states-say-iom-nis-ecowas/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "The ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card (ENBIC) has been launched, and stakeholders including the International Organisation for Migrants (IOM), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), and ECOWAS believe it will enhance free movement and trade among member states. The card, costing N35,000 to acquire, aims to facilitate the objectives of the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol and national efforts to strengthen migration governance and regional cooperation. At a media sensitisation workshop in Lagos, ECOWAS Director of Free Movement of Persons, Migration, and Tourism, Mr. Obinna Ajugwo, emphasized that the ENBIC is a symbol of belonging and an enabler of safe, secure, and efficient movement across the region. He stressed the importance of public trust and information in the initiative's success, attributing the responsibility to the media.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}