The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has introduced a contactless biometric capture system aimed at making the process of obtaining a driver’s licence in Nigeria faster and more seamless, ending the era of temporary licences and prolonged waiting periods.

The Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, announced the development on Monday in Abuja during the flag-off of the 2025 Ember Months Public Enlightenment and Sensitisation Campaign.

He said the innovation marks a major step in the FRSC’s full digital transformation and would significantly simplify licence processing across the country.

“It’s seamless now. You don’t need to place your hand on a device to get your fingerprint. The system captures it automatically and synchronises your details with our database,” Mohammed said.

“This is a contactless biometric system that will revolutionise our operations.”

According to the Corps Marshal, the new system will allow for instant biometric capture and same-day licence issuance, eliminating delays that previously lasted weeks or even months.

“Once you’re captured, you get your driver’s licence immediately. There will be no more temporary licences or long waiting periods — no more two weeks, one month, or a year before receiving your permanent licence,” he assured.

Mohammed disclosed that the contactless biometric system will commence nationwide this month, adding that all driver’s licence centres are being linked to a national database for real-time verification and processing.

During an inspection visit to the FRSC Driver’s Licence Print Farm, the Deputy Corps Marshal in charge of Motor Vehicle Administration, Aliyu Datsama, said the Corps had stepped up production to clear the existing backlog.

“We work 24/7 now because of the backlog we had. It was about 800,000, but we’ve reduced it to 400,000. Our daily production rate is 40,000, and in the next few weeks, we’ll clear everything, by the grace of God,” Datsama said.

Mohammed also confirmed that the Corps had upgraded its printing facilities to handle increased output and meet the new operational demand.

On road safety, the FRSC boss disclosed that the country has recorded a decline in road crash fatalities compared to the previous year.

He said data from the 2024 Operation Zero Campaign (December 15, 2024 – January 15, 2025) showed 432 deaths and 2,070 injuries from 533 crashes.

Between January and September 2025, however, there were 3,433 deaths and 22,162 injuries in 6,858 crashes, representing a relative improvement in safety outcomes.

“We’ll intensify our Ember Months operations with targeted campaigns against distracted driving, fatigue, overloading, and the use of phones while driving,” Mohammed stated.

The Corps Marshal further announced that Nigeria will host the International Conference on Road Crash Victims for Africa from November 16-18, 2025, in collaboration with the KRSD Road Safety Foundation.

The conference, he said, will focus on strengthening post-crash care in line with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety.

“We remain committed to leveraging technology for improved service delivery and safer roads across the country,” Mohammed added.