The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has announced plans to fully digitalise its licensing and certification process for pilots, engineers, medical personnel, and other aviation professionals from July 2, 2026.
Speaking at the unveiling of the Modern Personnel Licensing and Certification Digital Transformation Initiative in Lagos, NCAA Director-General, Chris Najomo, said the move would end the long delays and bureaucratic challenges associated with manual licensing processes.
According to him, the new platform will allow aviation professionals to apply for, renew, and convert licences online while tracking their applications in real time.
“There will be no more waiting,” Najomo said, adding that the system would introduce biometric-backed credentials and QR-code licence verification to improve security, transparency, and data integrity in line with global standards.
He noted that the digital licensing project is the first phase of the NCAA’s wider transformation programme, which will later cover Air Operator Certificates, maintenance organisations, training institutions, aerodrome certifications, and other regulatory processes.
Najomo also revealed that the authority had already reduced the timeline for obtaining Air Operator Certificates from up to two years to between six and eight months, with plans to further cut it to about 90 days through digitalisation.
In his remarks, the Director of Airworthiness Standards, Godwin Balang, said the initiative would finally end paper-based aviation certification in Nigeria.
“What we are going to find with my team is not something you can use paper files to do. You need systems,” Balang stated.
He added that the MPLC system includes integrated modules for personnel licensing, technical records, and organisational approvals aimed at improving regulatory oversight across the aviation sector.
