NCAA implements EMPIC personnel licencing, medical certification
Lagos, May 2026 (TBL Africa ) The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has begun implementing EMPIC Personal Licensing (PEL) and Aviation Medicine (MED) certification system to phase out paper-driven workflow in its regulatory oversight.
This was made known at a Go- Live stakeholders engagement on Tuesday in Lagos.
The Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Chris Najomo, described the EMPIC platform as a “defining milestone” in the modernisation and automation of the nation’s aviation regulatory oversight.
Najomo emphasised that manual processes and paper-driven validations were no longer sufficient to meet the demands of modern aviation.
”As traffic grows and global scrutiny intensifies, the new digital backbone is designed to ensure real-time verification, data integrity and audit traceability.
According to him, civil aviation regulation is built on safety, security, integrity and operability.
He advised that in a modern aviation ecosystem, these pillars must be supported by robust digital infrastructure.
“It provides a platform to clearly communicate the objectives, scope, and operational impact of the new system, while preparing airlines, training organisations, Authorised Aviation Medical Examiner (AAME), medical centres, and licence holders for the Go-Live.
“Ultimately, it transforms the initiative from an internal NCAA project into a collective industry advancement.
“As traffic grows, aviation workforce expands, and global scrutiny intensifies, regulatory systems must evolve accordingly and operate at the speed and intelligence of the industry they oversee.
“The deployment of the EMPIC Licensing and Medical Certification platform is the first phase in our response to this reality, and it represents our deliberate shift toward a data-driven, intelligent and audit-compliant licensing and medical certification ecosystem.”
Najomo said that the deployment would enhance integrity, transparency and global credibility.
“Licensing and medical certification are not administrative functions; they are safety controls.”
He noted that the Go-Live stakeholder engagement focused on aviation licensed personnel, adding that the next phase in the digital transformation would focus on organisations.
Mr Godwin Balang, Director of Airworthiness Standards at NCAA, said the EMPIC software was developed by seasoned aviation regulators.
Balang said that over 25 countries in Europe were already using the software, adding that, in Africa, South Africa was using it.
According to him, NCAA has regulatory processes in issuing certificates for personnel and organisations.
He said NCAA had phased the implementation of the software, starting with personnel licencing. The current system is very cumbersome.
The meeting had air traffic controllers, pilots, airline owners and other stakeholders in aviation in attendance.
EMPIC is a globally-recognised Civil Aviation Authority regulatory software used by multiple aviation authorities to manage safety oversight, certification, licensing, medical records in alignment with International Civil Aviation Organisation standards.
