Capt Najomo, DGCA
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has taken a major step in modernizing aviation regulation with the rollout of its EMPIC Personnel Licensing and Medical Certification digital platform, a move officials say will strengthen safety, transparency, and global credibility.
Speaking at the Aviation Industry Stakeholder Engagement in Lagos on Tuesday ,Director General of Civil Aviation, Capt Chris Najomo, said the Go-Live of the EMPIC PEL | MED system marks “a defining milestone” in the modernization of Nigeria’s regulatory oversight.
The second stakeholder engagement was held to align airlines, training organizations, Authorized Aviation Medical Examiners, medical centers, and license holders ahead of full operational adoption.
The new platform replaces manual and semi-automated processes that have struggled to keep pace with ICAO standards, real-time verification needs, and growing industry volume.
According to the DGCA, the shift to a data-driven, audit-compliant ecosystem will enhance integrity, traceability, and the global portability of Nigerian-issued credentials.
“For license holders, it means online applications, real-time status visibility, faster turnaround, biometric-backed credentials, and QR-code verification,” Najomo said.
“For airlines and operators, it enables real-time license verification and reduces operational risk from invalid credentials. For NCAA, it strengthens oversight, data integrity, and audit readiness,,” he stressed.
The EMPIC deployment is the first phase of NCAA’s broader digital transformation, which will later extend to organization approvals and technical certification covering AOCs, ATOs, AMOs, aerodromes, and airworthiness functions.
The DGCA stressed that the system reinforces, not replaces, regulatory discipline. Every transaction is time-stamped, role-tracked, and audit-logged, with identity verification integrated through NIMC NIN for Nigerians and passport validation for foreign holders.
He commended the NCAA project team led by Engr. Balang and implementation partner CS2 for their technical dedication, urging stakeholders to actively engage, provide feedback, and prepare for full adoption.
The initiative aligns with ICAO Annex 1 requirements and global best practices in medical certification, data protection, and cybersecurity, positioning Nigeria to strengthen international confidence in its aviation credentials.
