By Chidi Ugwu
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has achieved the Go-Live of the EMPIC Personnel Licensing and Medical Certification (PEL/MED) system.
The Director-General, Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo announced the Go-Live on Monday, December 15th 2025 at the NCAA Headquarters in Abuja during the EMPIC PEL/MED Go-Live Stakeholder Engagement with the Nigerian Aviation Ecosystem.
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The ICAO approved technology when fully operational will see pilots and other aviation professionals requiring licensing renewal achieve that in hours.
The EMPIC PEL/MED system a globally recognized, ICAO-aligned software for aviation regulators, and the deployment is a demonstration of NCAA’s commitment to adopting world-class digital tools to support Nigeria’s aviation growth.
“It represents a fundamental modernization of the way we manage licensing, medical certification, inspector oversight, data integrity, and industry compliance. This modernization aligns with ICAO’s Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP), the State Safety Programme (SSP), and our strategic objective of becoming a fully digital, data-driven regulator, as I mentioned earlier” the NCAA CEO highlighted.
Capt. Najomo further explained that the “full operationalization of EMPIC PEL/MED will take place on the 2nd of April, 2026. This phased approach is deliberate, and necessary to ensure system stability, stakeholder preparedness, data integrity, and regulatory continuity.”
He said between now and the formal operationalization date, the following activities will take place:
“The Authority will complete final data validation and migration activities; Stakeholders will undergo continued onboarding and user support; Finalization of AAMEs onboarding process; Parallel run and transition arrangements will be applied where necessary; and Operational guidelines and notices will be issued by the Authority.
“Upon operationalisation on April 2nd, 2026, EMPIC PEL/MED will become the official and mandatory platform for all applicable personnel licensing and aviation medical certification transactions, in accordance with NCAA regulations” he explained.
He appreciated the cooperation of airlines, aviation medical examiners, training organizations, aviation personnel, and technical partners whose engagement has been critical to reaching this milestone.
He called on all stakeholders to actively participate in the post-Go-Live transition activities and to prepare for full adoption upon operationalisation.
This structured transition will ensure a smooth, transparent, and internationally aligned regulatory environment.
This initiative represents a significant step in the digital transformation of aviation regulation in Nigeria, reinforcing our collective commitment to safety, professionalism, and global best practice.
He added that it is a landmark digital solution that positions Nigeria’s aviation industry for greater efficiency, transparency, and global competitiveness.
For many years, the aviation sector relied on manual and semi-digital processes for licensing and medical certification. While these processes served their purpose, the increasing complexity of our industry, the demand for real-time regulatory oversight, and the expectations of a modern aviation workforce necessitated a shift toward a more robust and technology-driven approach.
Engr. Godwin Gyang Balang, the Director, Aerodrome and Airspace Standards (DAAS) in his presentation at the event said Nigeria has now j0ined the list of elite civil aviation regulators who have delayed this bespoke technology.
He said with the technology, the process which started several years back, the NCAA will have better quality data system with better data integrity adding that the system has a lot of quality assurances to guard against mistakes.
He said there will be four biometric data centres (Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano) for easy access by operators.
