Nigeria’s aviation industry is set for a major digital overhaul as the NCAA announces an end to paper-based licensing, promising faster approvals, real-time tracking, and reduced bureaucratic delays for aviation professionals.

Nigeria’s aviation sector is entering a new digital era as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) announces plans to fully digitalise licensing and certification processes for pilots, engineers, medical personnel and other aviation professionals from July 2, 2026.

CBINews reports that the new digital platform is designed to eliminate years of delays and bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with manual and paper-based licensing procedures.

Speaking during the unveiling of the Modern Personnel Licensing and Certification (PEL/MED) Digital Transformation Initiative at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, said the reform marks a major milestone in the agency’s modernisation drive.

Najomo stated that aviation professionals would soon be able to apply for licence issuance, renewal and conversion entirely online, while tracking application progress in real time.

He explained that future phases of the digital initiative would also cover Air Operator Certificate processing, Approved Training Organisations, Approved Maintenance Organisations, aerodrome certifications, air navigation service providers, ground handling organisations and dangerous goods approvals.

The NCAA boss further disclosed that the authority had already begun reducing delays linked to Air Operator Certificate issuance for airlines.

The digital transformation will also extend to aircraft registration, airworthiness certification, maintenance programme approvals, export and import certification of airworthiness, supplemental type certificates and monitoring of airworthiness directives.

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