NCAA moves to digital licensing forpilots and aviation personnel

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has announced that its licensing processes for pilots, engineers, medical personnel and other aviation professionals will move from a manual, paper‑based system to a fully digital platform.

The digital regime, slated to become operational on 2 July 2026, aims to eliminate the prolonged delays and bureaucratic bottlenecks that have long frustrated aviation professionals seeking licences, renewals and certifications from the regulator.

Speaking on Tuesday at the unveiling of the Modern Personnel Licensing and Certification NCAA Digital Transformation Initiative (PEL/MED) Stakeholder Engagement held at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, Director‑General of Civil Aviation Capt. Chris Najomo said the era of endless waiting for aviation licences would soon end.

Najomo described the initiative as a major milestone in the authority’s ongoing reform programme, emphasizing that Nigeria’s aviation sector can no longer rely on outdated systems in a rapidly evolving global industry.

The NCAA chief stated, “Personnel licensing in America is key to airline operators. It is very important. This is what pertains everywhere in America and other advanced aviation systems.

“I am sure airline operators are asking, ‘When are we going to start? When are we going to stop waiting one week, two weeks, sometimes one month for licences to come out?’ But I tell you, it is going to be over soon. There will be no more waiting.”

Najomo explained that the digital transformation initiative will provide a transparent online application process for the issuance, renewal and conversion of licences, and that applicants will be able to track the status of their applications in real time.

He added that the platform will introduce biometric‑backed credentials and QR‑code‑based licence verification in line with international best practices, thereby strengthening security, transparency and data integrity within the industry.

According to Najomo, the global aviation sector has moved beyond fragmented databases, semi‑automated systems and paper‑driven workflows, and modern regulatory oversight now depends heavily on technology and real‑time verification systems.

“The deployment of this digital licensing and medical certification platform represents the first phase of the NCAA’s wider digital transformation programme,” he said.

He disclosed that later phases will cover Air Operator Certificate processing, Approved Training Organisations, Approved Maintenance Organisations, aerodrome certifications, air navigation service providers, ground handling organisations and dangerous goods approvals.

The DGCA also reported that the authority has already made progress in reducing delays associated with the issuance of Air Operator Certificates for airlines.

He noted, “Before now, obtaining an AOC could take between one and two years. We reduced that timeline to between six and eight months, and with this digital platform, we are looking at reducing it further to about 90 days.”

Najomo further explained that the platform will extend to technical certification processes, including aircraft registration, airworthiness certification, aircraft maintenance programme approvals, export and import certification of airworthiness, supplemental type certificates and monitoring of airworthiness directives.

In his welcome address, Director of Airworthiness Standards Godwin Balang said the implementation of the MPLC project will finally end the era of paper‑based aviation certification processes in Nigeria.

Balang stressed that effective aviation oversight can no longer be managed manually, especially in an industry driven by speed, accuracy, compliance and safety.

He said, “What we are going to find with my team is not something you can use paper files for. You need systems. That is why we are gathered here today.

“The Director‑General has picked this project, and within two years, he has moved it from where he met it to where it is today. What you are seeing on the screen is the landing page of the software we are talking about.”

According to Balang, the MPLC system includes several integrated components—a central module, a personnel licensing module, a technical records module and an organisational approvals module—designed to streamline regulatory oversight across multiple sectors of the industry.

“It has a central module, personnel licensing module, technical records module and organisational approvals module. This is a very big area,” Balang explained.

He also revealed that the NCAA has engaged international technical partners and experts to study global best practices in aviation digitalisation, ensuring a seamless implementation of the project.

He added that a team from the authority recently travelled to South America for a five‑day technical engagement focused on the deployment and operationalisation of the MPLC project.