The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has announced plans to transition from manual, paper-based licensing procedures to a fully digital platform for pilots, engineers, medical personnel and other aviation professionals, effective July 2, 2026.
The initiative is aimed at eliminating persistent delays and bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with the issuance, renewal and certification of aviation licences in Nigeria.
Speaking at the unveiling of the Modern Personnel Licensing and Certification (MPLC) Digital Transformation Initiative during a stakeholder engagement held Tuesday at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, described the project as a major milestone in the agency’s reform agenda.
According to Najomo, the aviation industry can no longer depend on outdated systems in an era driven by technology, efficiency and real-time regulatory oversight.
“Airline operators have often complained about delays in obtaining licences, sometimes waiting for weeks or even months. With this new platform, that era is coming to an end,” he said.
Najomo explained that the digital platform would provide transparent online processes for licence applications, renewals and conversions, while enabling applicants to track the status of their submissions in real time.
He added that the system would incorporate biometric-backed credentials and QR-code licence verification in line with global best practices, improving security, transparency and data integrity within the sector.
“The deployment of this digital licensing and medical certification platform represents the first phase of the NCAA’s wider digital transformation programme,” he stated.
The NCAA boss disclosed that subsequent phases would cover the digitalisation of Air Operator Certificate (AOC) processing, Approved Training Organisations, Approved Maintenance Organisations, aerodrome certification, air navigation service providers, ground handling organisations and dangerous goods approvals.
Najomo also noted that the authority had already reduced the timeline for obtaining an AOC from between one and two years to about six to eight months, with plans to shorten the process further to approximately 90 days under the new digital regime.
He said the platform would also extend to technical certification procedures, including aircraft registration, airworthiness certification, aircraft maintenance programme approvals, export and import airworthiness certification, supplemental type certificates and monitoring of airworthiness directives.
In his remarks, the Director of Airworthiness Standards, Godwin Balang, said the MPLC project would mark the end of paper-based aviation certification processes in Nigeria.
Balang stressed that effective aviation oversight in a modern industry could no longer rely on manual systems.
“What we are dealing with today cannot be effectively managed using paper files. The industry requires integrated digital systems that support speed, accuracy, compliance and safety,” he said.
According to him, the MPLC system comprises several integrated modules, including personnel licensing, technical records, organisational approvals and a central regulatory management system designed to streamline oversight across the aviation sector.
He further revealed that the NCAA had engaged international technical partners and experts to understudy global best practices in aviation digitalisation to ensure seamless implementation of the initiative.
Balang added that officials of the authority recently undertook a five-day technical engagement in South America focused on the deployment and operationalisation of the MPLC platform.
