The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has announced plans to fully digitalise its personnel licensing and certification processes for pilots, engineers, medical personnel, and other aviation professionals beginning July 2, 2026.
The move is part of a broader reform initiative aimed at eliminating long-standing delays, manual paperwork, and bureaucratic bottlenecks that have affected aviation licensing procedures in Nigeria for years.
The Director-General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, disclosed the development on Tuesday during the unveiling of the Modern Personnel Licensing and Certification (MPLC) Digital Transformation Initiative held at the Murtala Muhammed Airport.
Najomo described the initiative as a major milestone in the modernisation of Nigeria’s aviation regulatory system, stressing that the industry can no longer rely on outdated paper-based operations in an increasingly technology-driven global aviation environment.
According to him, the new platform will allow aviation professionals to apply for licence issuance, renewals, and conversions online while also enabling applicants to monitor the progress of their applications in real time.
He said the system would significantly reduce waiting periods that previously stretched from several weeks to months.
“There will be no more waiting endlessly for licences. The era of delays is coming to an end,” Najomo stated.
The NCAA boss explained that the digital platform would introduce biometric-backed licensing credentials and QR-code verification systems to improve transparency, security, and data integrity in line with global aviation standards.
He noted that aviation regulators worldwide have moved away from fragmented databases and paper-driven workflows, making digital oversight essential for safety, efficiency, and compliance.
Najomo revealed that the digital licensing programme represents only the first phase of the NCAA’s wider transformation agenda.
Subsequent phases, he said, would extend to Air Operator Certificate processing, Approved Training Organisations, Approved Maintenance Organisations, aerodrome certifications, ground handling approvals, air navigation service providers, and dangerous goods certification.
He further disclosed that the authority had already made progress in reducing delays in the issuance of Air Operator Certificates for airlines.
According to him, while airline certification processes previously took between one and two years, reforms have already reduced the timeline to between six and eight months, with the new digital system expected to shorten the process further to about 90 days.
The DGCA also explained that the platform would support several technical certification processes, including aircraft registration, airworthiness certification, aircraft maintenance approvals, export and import certification, supplemental type certification, and monitoring of airworthiness directives.
Earlier in his remarks, the Director of Airworthiness Standards, Godwin Balang, said the implementation of the MPLC project would finally bring an end to manual aviation certification processes in Nigeria.
Balang stated that effective aviation regulation now depends heavily on technology, especially in an industry where speed, accuracy, compliance, and safety are critical.
He explained that the MPLC system contains several integrated components, including central regulatory modules, personnel licensing modules, technical records systems, and organisational approval frameworks designed to streamline oversight across the aviation sector.
According to him, the NCAA also engaged international technical partners and studied global aviation digitalisation models to ensure smooth implementation of the project.
He added that officials of the authority recently travelled to South America for technical engagements focused on the deployment and operationalisation of the digital certification system.
Industry stakeholders believe the initiative could significantly improve operational efficiency, transparency, and service delivery within Nigeria’s aviation sector while aligning the country more closely with international aviation best practices.
