NCAA implements electronic licensing system to reduce delays and improve oversight

By Dickson Omobola

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) announced on Tuesday that a new digital platform for licensing and medical certification will cut the time needed to issue aviation licences, improve regulatory compliance and reinforce safety oversight in the air‑transport sector.

Capt. Chris Najomo, Director General of the NCAA, said the shift to digital was driven by the inadequacy of manual and semi‑automated processes, disconnected databases and paper‑based workflows, which no longer satisfy the requirements of modern aviation regulation or the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Najomo made the remarks at the launch of the Modern Personnel Licensing and Certification (MPLC) initiative, part of the NCAA’s Digital Transformation Programme, during a stakeholder engagement on PEL/MED held at Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos.

He stated: “Civil aviation regulation is built on safety, security, integrity and operability. In a modern aviation ecosystem, these pillars must be supported by robust digital infrastructure. Manual and semi‑automated processes and validation, fragmented databases, paper‑driven workflows, fragmented databases and limited traceability no longer meet the demands of ICAO SARPs compliance, real‑time verification requirements, global mobility of license holders, data integrity and audit traceability, increased industry volume and complexity.”

“As traffic grows, the aviation workforce expands, and global scrutiny intensifies, regulatory systems must evolve accordingly and operate at the speed and intelligence of the industry they oversee. The deployment of the EMPIC Licensing and Medical Certification platform is the first phase in our response to this reality, and it represents our deliberate shift towards a data‑driven, intelligent, audit‑compliant licensing and medical certification ecosystem; one that enhances integrity, transparency, and global credibility. Licensing and medical certification are not administrative functions; they are safety controls.”

“Our digital transformation is in two broad categories – persons and organisations. This Go‑Live stakeholder engagement is focused on aviation licensed personnel, PEL, however it is important to state here that our next phases of implementation in our digital transformation journey will be focused on Organisations.”

“The Organisation Approval Surveillance comprises the Air Operator Certification (AOC), Approved Training Organisations (ATO), Approved Maintenance Organisations (AMO), Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisations (CAMO), Aerodromes, Air Navigation Service Providers, Meteorology, ground handling organisations, dangerous goods approval and oversight.”

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