The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has introduced a new digital platform aimed at transforming the country’s aviation personnel licensing and medical certification processes, with full implementation scheduled for April 2, 2026.
The platform, known as the EMPIC Personnel Licensing and Medical Certification (PEL/MED) system, was officially launched on Monday at the NCAA headquarters in Abuja during a stakeholder engagement session involving key actors in the aviation sector.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, said the ICAO-approved system would drastically reduce processing times for pilots and other aviation professionals, cutting procedures that previously took weeks down to a matter of hours.
According to him, the deployment of the EMPIC PEL/MED platform marks a major shift toward a fully digital regulatory framework, strengthening safety oversight, data integrity and operational efficiency within Nigeria’s aviation industry.
“This platform represents a fundamental modernisation of how we manage licensing, medical certification, inspector oversight, and compliance monitoring,” Najomo said. “It aligns with ICAO’s Global Aviation Safety Plan, the State Safety Programme and our broader objective of becoming a data-driven regulator.”
Najomo explained that the authority had adopted a phased implementation approach to ensure system stability, accurate data migration and adequate stakeholder preparedness ahead of the April 2026 deadline. He said the transition period would allow for final data validation, onboarding of aviation medical examiners, continued user support and the issuance of operational guidelines.
He added that once the transition period ends, the EMPIC PEL/MED system will become the mandatory platform for all personnel licensing and aviation medical certification transactions, in accordance with NCAA regulations.
Najomo also commended airlines, training organisations, aviation professionals and technical partners for their cooperation so far, urging them to actively engage with the system ahead of full deployment. He noted that the initiative would improve transparency and align Nigeria’s regulatory environment with international best practices.
For years, the aviation sector relied largely on manual and semi-digital processes, a situation Najomo said was no longer sustainable given the industry’s growing complexity and the demand for real-time regulatory oversight.
In a presentation at the event, the Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, Godwin Gyang Balang, said Nigeria had joined other leading aviation regulators globally in adopting the EMPIC technology. He noted that the system includes built-in quality assurance features designed to improve data accuracy and reduce errors.
Balang added that four biometric data centres would be established in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano to improve accessibility for aviation personnel and operators across the country.
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