The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has announced plans to introduce a fully digital licensing and certification platform for pilots, engineers, medical personnel, and other aviation professionals as part of efforts to modernise regulatory processes in the country’s aviation sector.
The new system, scheduled to commence on July 2, 2026, is expected to replace the long-standing manual and paper-based licensing procedures that have often delayed the issuance and renewal of aviation certifications.
Speaking during the unveiling of the Modern Personnel Licensing and Certification (MPLC) Digital Transformation Initiative at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport on Tuesday, Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt.
Chris Najomo, described the initiative as a major step toward improving efficiency and transparency within Nigeria’s aviation industry.
According to Najomo, aviation operators and professionals will soon be able to complete licensing applications, renewals, and conversions entirely online without enduring prolonged waiting periods.
He explained that the digital platform would provide real-time tracking of applications while introducing biometric-backed credentials and QR-code verification systems aimed at strengthening security, transparency, and data integrity.
Najomo noted that global aviation systems have already moved away from fragmented databases and paper-driven workflows, stressing that Nigeria must align with international standards through technology-driven oversight.
“The era of waiting several weeks or even months for aviation licences will soon come to an end,” he said during the engagement session with industry stakeholders.
The NCAA boss disclosed that the digital licensing initiative represents the first phase of the authority’s broader digital transformation programme.
Future phases are expected to cover Air Operator Certificate processing, Approved Training Organisations, Approved Maintenance Organisations, aerodrome certification, air navigation service providers, ground handling companies, and dangerous goods approvals.
Najomo also revealed that the authority had already reduced the timeline for obtaining Air Operator Certificates for airlines from between one and two years to about six to eight months. He added that the new digital platform could further reduce the process to approximately 90 days.
The platform will also support technical certification procedures such as aircraft registration, airworthiness certification, aircraft maintenance programme approvals, export and import certification of airworthiness, supplemental type certification, and monitoring of airworthiness directives.
In his remarks, Director of Airworthiness Standards, Engr. Godwin Balang, said the MPLC project would eliminate the inefficiencies associated with manual certification processes in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Balang explained that modern aviation oversight requires digital systems capable of delivering speed, compliance, accuracy, and safety, noting that paper files could no longer effectively manage complex aviation regulatory operations.
He stated that the MPLC system includes a central module, personnel licensing module, technical records module, and organisational approvals module designed to streamline oversight across multiple aviation sectors.
Balang further disclosed that the NCAA had collaborated with international technical experts and partners to study global best practices in aviation digitalisation ahead of the implementation of the project.
According to him, officials from the authority recently participated in a five-day technical engagement in South America focused on the deployment and operationalisation of the MPLC platform.
