The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has launched a contactless biometric capture system for driver’s licence processing — a major step in Nigeria’s shift toward digital governance and improved public service delivery.
The initiative, announced on Monday in Abuja during the flag-off of the 2025 Ember Months Road Safety Campaign, is aimed at eliminating processing delays and curbing the use of temporary licences.
This year’s campaign, themed “Tech Responsibility for Your Safety: Stop Distracted Driving,” focuses on reducing accidents during the festive period between December 15 and January 15.
Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed said the innovation represents a breakthrough in FRSC’s digital transformation strategy.
“We have activated plans to overcome the perennial challenges associated with delays in obtaining driver’s licences and number plates. Our upgraded printing facility now produces an average of 15,000 licences daily,” he said.
He added that the Corps plans to clear all pending backlogs before mid-November 2025, while the contactless system will enable instant licence issuance.
“We are commencing contactless biometric capture with on-the-spot printing. This will end temporary licences and signal the start of a fully digital one-stop platform for driver’s licence processing,” Mohammed explained.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has introduced a contactless biometric capture system for instant driver’s licence issuance, ending delays and aligning with Nigeria’s digital governance reforms.
The Corps Marshal said the system was designed in partnership with state governments and key transport authorities, stressing that vehicle licensing is a shared responsibility under Nigeria’s concurrent legislative framework.
“Globally, driver’s licences are issued instantly once applicants are properly captured. What matters is comprehensive data integrity and accessibility — and our new system guarantees both,” he stated.
He added that the process will integrate driving schools, Vehicle Inspection Offices (VIO), and other certification systems into a streamlined, data-linked network connected to the National Identification Number (NIN) database for real-time verification.
During a media tour of the FRSC Driver’s Licence Print Farm, Deputy Corps Marshal Aliyu Datsama, head of the Motor Vehicle Administration Department, confirmed that the contactless technology was already operational and being prepared for nationwide rollout, including Lagos.
“We’ve reduced the backlog of 800,000 unprocessed licences to 400,000. With a daily production capacity of 40,000, we aim to clear the remaining backlog within weeks,” Datsama revealed.
He urged applicants who had completed biometric capture to collect their licences, disclosing that over 206,000 licences remain unclaimed across various states.
The FRSC emphasised that the initiative underscores its commitment to technology-driven efficiency, road safety, and public convenience, especially as traffic volume rises during the Ember Months.
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