The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s EMPIC Personnel Licensing / Medical Go-Live PEL/MED digital transformation initiative is set to significantly reduce aviation licensing delays from weeks to just 48 hours.
Also with digital transformation, the regulator now plans to shorten AOC approvals further to just 90 days from two years and more.
Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Chris Ona Najomo, disclosed this at the PEL/MED Go-Live Stakeholders Engagement held at the NCAA Lagos Regional Office in Lagos
According to him, the aviation regulator is entering a new era of digital oversight and operational efficiency with the aim to improve regulatory transparency and strengthen safety oversight across the sector.
According to Captain Najomo, “Once this is implemented, I hear 48 hours. We have a long wait. Is that what we are looking for?” he said.
The NCAA boss explained that the initiative marks a defining milestone in the modernisation of aviation regulatory oversight in Nigeria.
He however stressed that, “No digital system can substitute regulatory discipline. However, this system strengthens regulatory control. Every transaction within the PEL/MED environment is timestamped.
He further noted that the stakeholder engagement was designed to ensure industry-wide readiness and alignment ahead of the platform’s full implementation.
According to him, the engagement also provides airlines, training organisations, aviation medical examiners and licence holders the opportunity to understand the operational impact of the digital system.
Captain Najomo stressed that civil aviation regulation depends heavily on safety, security, integrity and operational efficiency. However, he noted that manual and semi-automated systems could no longer meet modern aviation requirements.
He explained that fragmented databases, paper-driven workflows and limited accessibility had become inadequate for ICAO compliance and global verification standards.
Therefore, the NCAA decided to deploy the PEL/MED digital transformation platform as part of a broader transition to a data-driven and audit-compliant regulatory ecosystem.
Digital Transformation to Accelerate AOC and Organisational Approvals
Captain Najomo disclosed that the next phase of the NCAA digital transformation programme would focus on organisational approvals and surveillance systems.
According to him, the platform would cover Air Operator Certificates, Approved Training Organisations, Approved Maintenance Organisations and Continued Airworthiness Management Organisations.
In addition, aerodromes, air navigation service providers, ground handling organisations, data schools, operational certification and office space management would also migrate into the digital system.
Ramp inspections and surveillance audits are equally expected to become fully digitised.
“This will take care of all those processes. So, what can we say? We are going digital,” he declared.
The DG revealed that before his administration, the Air Operator Certificate process sometimes lasted between one and two years. However, the NCAA had already reduced the process to between six and eight months.
With the digital transformation, the regulator now plans to shorten AOC approvals further to just 90 days.
“This AOC process will take 90 days. The process will take care of itself. It’s either yes or no,” he stated.
Captain Najomo explained that the platform would also support technical certification processes including aircraft registration, aircraft certification validation and supplemental type certificate approvals.
Export-import airworthiness certification, aircraft maintenance programme approvals and minimum equipment list approvals are also expected to move into the digital environment.
According to him, processes that normally lasted between 60 and 90 days could eventually be completed within one or two months under the new framework.
QR Code Licences and Real-Time Verification
The NCAA DG further disclosed that the digital transformation initiative introduces secure biometric-backed licences with QR code verification capabilities.
He explained that the system would enable real-time licence verification for operators and inspectors while reducing the risks associated with invalid or expired credentials.
“Real-time licence verification capability will improve compliance assurance and reduce operational risk for invalid credentials,” he said.
Captain Najomo added that every transaction within the platform would be timestamped, audit-tracked and compliance validated.
According to him, every action performed within the system leaves a regulatory footprint capable of protecting the authority, operators, licence holders and the travelling public.
The platform also integrates identity verification with Nigeria’s national identity framework for local applicants and passport validation systems for foreign licence holders.
Furthermore, the NCAA said the digital transformation aligns with ICAO requirements, global medical certification standards and international cybersecurity principles.
The regulator believes the system will improve audit readiness, strengthen oversight capability and enhance international confidence in licences issued by Nigeria.
“This is not technology for its own sake. It is technology in service of safety and compliance with verifiable impact,” Captain Najomo emphasised.
Balang Says Paper-Based Processes Becoming Obsolete
Meanwhile, Director of Airworthiness Standards, Engr. Godwin Balang, said aviation regulation could no longer rely on traditional paper file systems.
“It’s not something you are going to use a paper file to do. You need systems,” Engr. Balang stated.
He explained that the project consists of central modules covering personnel licensing, technical operations and organisational approvals.
According to him, NCAA officials recently travelled to South America to understudy similar aviation digital systems already functioning successfully abroad.
Engr. Balang also disclosed that the Director General personally prioritised Flight Crew Licensing implementation within the broader digital project.
He said the first phase would focus on personnel licensing and aeromedical certification before expanding into organisational approvals and technical operations.
“Aeromedical examiners will no longer submit physical reports. They will do it from the comfort of their offices and licences will come seamlessly,” he stated.
The DAWS noted that once the first phase stabilises, the NCAA would fully transition into digital processing for AOCs, aircraft registration, maintenance approvals and technical certification.
Industry stakeholders at the engagement observed that the digital transformation initiative could significantly reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, improve transparency and strengthen Nigeria’s aviation safety oversight system.
Operators also believe the platform could improve investor confidence by delivering predictable approval timelines and more transparent regulatory processes.
For the NCAA, however, the message remains clear the future of aviation oversight in Nigeria is digital.
