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The Economic and Monetary Community of West African States (ECOWAS) embarked on a sensitization tour to The Gambia to emphasize the importance of the regional identification credential known as the ECOWAS National Biometric ID Card (ENBIC).
During the visit, the ECOWAS Commission, represented by its Directorate of Free Movements and Immigration, conveyed the significance of the ENBIC to immigration officers and transborder commercial drivers in The Gambia. This initiative aims to promote intra-regional trade and integration, as outlined in a press release.
Albert Siaw-Boateng, an official from the Commission, addressed the audience through a representative, taking the opportunity to educate the citizens of The Gambia, the government, and non-state stakeholders about the importance of facilitating the free movement of people and services within the ECOWAS region. The two-day sensitization meeting also provided insights into the process of obtaining the regional biometric card.
While commending the efforts of The Gambia’s government in adopting the ENBIC, Siaw-Boateng expressed the belief that further collaboration and concerted efforts would be instrumental in achieving their shared objectives.
In his comments, Musa Sawaneh, an economist at the Gambian Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Regional Integration and Empowerment, underscored the biometric ID card’s significance for regional development. According to Sawaneh, this ID will not only enable individuals to travel freely across ECOWAS member countries but will also contribute to addressing border closure delays and enhancing security measures.
The ENBIC is a biometric identification credential that ECOWAS heads of state endorsed in 2014 to facilitate travel and trade transactions among the member countries of this economic and political bloc.
To date, only six out of the 15 ECOWAS member states have issued the card. The ECOWAS Commission has recently encouraged the remaining states to take proactive steps towards its implementation.
Additionally, ECOWAS is overseeing the WURI project, a regional ID card initiative funded by the World Bank. The bloc anticipates that this project will promote commercial transactions and enhance financial inclusion in the region.
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