Evaluating Biometric Data Management Systems in Nigerian Financial Institutions

Biometric verification systems are now standard identity authentication tools in Nigerian financial institutions, but the data management practices surrounding biometric templates storage, transmission, and access control have received insufficient professional scrutiny. This study evaluates biometric data management practices in Nigerian financial institutions, with a focus on deposit money banks and mobile money operators. A professional assessment framework was developed drawing on the NIST Special Publication 800-76 Biometric Specifications for Personal Identity Verification, the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2023, and the CBN Biometric Framework for the Financial Sector. Structured assessment interviews were conducted with biometric system administrators and compliance officers at 15 institutions across Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. Five key management dimensions were evaluated: template protection mechanisms, data minimisation practices, cross-institution sharing protocols, breach response procedures, and subject rights management. Findings indicate that 80 percent of institutions use centralised biometric templates storage without adequate on-storage encryption. Biometric data sharing with third-party vendors lacks formal data processing agreements in 47 percent of cases. Subject access request mechanisms for biometric data are absent in all assessed institutions. The study concludes that biometric data management in Nigerian financial institutions requires urgent compliance and technical remediation to meet emerging NDPR requirements. A Financial Sector Biometric Data Management Compliance Checklist is developed as a practical tool for institutions.

Keywords: biometric data management, financial institutions, Nigeria, data protection, biometric security