The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has unveiled a contactless biometric capture system for the issuance of driver’s licences — a landmark innovation designed to eliminate processing delays and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to digital governance in road administration.
The announcement came on Monday in Abuja during the official launch of the 2025 Ember Months Road Safety Campaign, themed “Tech Responsibility for Your Safety: Stop Distracted Driving.” The campaign targets risky driving behaviours associated with increased crashes during the festive period from December 15 to January 15.
Speaking at the event, Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed said the contactless system marks a major milestone in the Corps’ digital transformation agenda.
“We have activated plans to overcome the perennial challenges associated with delays in obtaining the driver’s licence and number plates. Our printing facility has been upgraded to produce an average of 15,000 driver’s licences daily,” Mohammed stated.
He added that production capacity would increase further to clear all backlogs before mid-November 2025, while the new technology would eliminate the use of temporary licences.
“We are commencing contactless biometric capture with on-the-spot printing of driver’s licences. This innovation will remove the need for temporary licences and signal the beginning of a fully digital one-stop shop for licence processing,” he said.
According to the Corps Marshal, the system was developed in collaboration with state governments and key transport agencies, as vehicle licensing falls under the concurrent legislative list.
“Globally, driver’s licences are issued instantly once applicants are properly captured. What matters is comprehensive data integrity and accessibility. Our new system ensures both,” Mohammed noted.
He explained that the process would integrate driving schools, Vehicle Inspection Offices (VIO), and other certification systems to create a faster, unified platform.
“It’s contactless, efficient, and fully synchronised with the National Identification Number (NIN) database for real-time verification,” he added.
In a demonstration during a media tour of the FRSC Driver’s Licence Print Farm, Deputy Corps Marshal Aliyu Datsama, who heads the Motor Vehicle Administration department, confirmed that the contactless system was already operational and would soon be rolled out nationwide, including Lagos.
“We’ve reduced the backlog of 800,000 unprocessed licences to 400,000, and with a current daily production capacity of 40,000, we aim to clear the rest within weeks,” Datsama said.
He urged motorists who have completed their biometric capture to collect their licences, noting that over 206,000 remain unclaimed across various states.
The Corps emphasised that the initiative reflects its commitment to road safety, efficiency, and technology-driven public service, especially as traffic volume increases during the Ember Months.
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