KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY THE DGCA AT THE AVIATION  INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ON THE  DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION INITIATIVE – EMPIC PEL |  MED. NCAA LAGOS – MAY 12^TH, 2026 

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to this critical  stakeholder engagement session on the continuation of NCAA’s Digital Transformation Initiative.

Today’s event is specifically on  the implementation of the EMPIC Personnel Licensing (PEL) and  Medical Certification (MED) environment, and our Go-Live sequencing.

Today marks a defining milestone in the  modernization of aviation regulatory oversight in Nigeria by strengthening the regulatory backbone of our aviation industry.

This is the second stakeholder engagement, designed to further  ensure industry-wide alignment, readiness, and shared  ownership of the EMPIC PEL | MED digital transformation  initiative.

It provides a platform to clearly communicate the  objectives, scope, and operational impact of the new system,  while preparing the airlines, training organisations, AAMEs,  medical centres, and licence holders for the Go-Live. Ultimately,

it transforms the initiative from an internal NCAA project into a  collective industry advancement.

Strategic Context: Why This Transformation Matters 

Civil aviation regulation is built on safety, security, integrity and operability.

In a modern aviation ecosystem, these pillars  must be supported by robust digital infrastructure.

Manual and  semi-automated processes and validation, fragmented  databases, paper-driven workflows, fragmented databases and  limited traceability no longer meet the demands of ICAO SARPs  compliance, real-time verification requirements, global mobility  of license holders, data integrity and audit traceability, increased  industry volume and complexity.

As traffic grows, the 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, audit-compliant licensing and medical  certification ecosystem; one that enhances integrity,  transparency, and global credibility. Licensing and medical  certification are not administrative functions; they are safety  controls.

Our digital transformation is in two broad categories – Persons and Organizations. This Go-Live stakeholder engagement is  focused on aviation licensed personnel (PEL) however it is  important to state here that our next phases of implementation  in our digital transformation journey will be focused on  Organizations.

The Organization Approval Surveillance

comprises of the  following:

– Air Operator Certification (AOC)

– Approved Training Organisations (ATO)

– Approved Maintenance Organisations (AMO)

– Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisations (CAMO) – Aerodromes

– Air Navigation Service Providers

– Meteorology

– Ground Handling Organisations

– Dangerous Goods Approval & Oversight

– Operational Specifications (Ops Specs) Management; and – Ramp Inspections & Surveillance Audits

Technical Certification, on the other hand, includes

– Aircraft Type Certification Validation

– Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) Approval/Validation  – Aircraft Registration

– Airworthiness Certification

– Export / Import Certificate of Airworthiness

– Airworthiness Directives (AD) Adoption & Monitoring  – Major Modifications & Repairs Approval

– Aircraft Maintenance Programme Approval; and – Minimum Equipment List (MEL) Approval

Industry Benefits 

Of course, this transformation delivers measurable benefits to  the aviation community – including the regulator. Permit me to  enumerate some of them here:

For License Holders 

Online transparent application process for initial, renewal, and  conversion, etc; Real-time status visibility, Reduced turnaround

times, Secure biometric-backed credentials, QR-code-based  license verification, Improved data accuracy and improved global  portability of credentials.

For AAMEs & Medical Centres 

Clear integration with Aviation Medical Services, structured  submission and appointment workflows, secure digital  transmission of medical outcomes to AMS, reduced  administrative burden.

For Airlines & Operators 

Real-time license verification capability; Improved compliance  assurance; Reduced operational risk from invalid credentials.

And finally, For NCAA 

It means enhanced oversight capability, centralized data and  process integrity, improved audit readiness, improved analytics  and workforce planning visibility and measurable regulatory  accountability.

 

This is not technology for its own sake. It is  technology in service of safety and compliance with measurable  impact.

Governance and Data Integrity 

In terms of governance and data integrity let me emphasize a  fundamental principle: No digital system can substitute  regulatory discipline; however, this system strengthens  regulatory control. Every transaction within the PEL | MED

environment is time-stamped, role-tracked, audit logged, compliance validated.

Let me re-emphasize here again that every action within the  system leaves a regulatory footprint, which in essence protects  the Authority, the operator, the license holder, and ultimately, it  protects the flying public. We have integrated identity

verification with the national framework – NIMC NIN for Nigerian  applicants and passport validation for foreign license holders.

Change Management – critical enabler and Stakeholder  Responsibility 

Sustainable transformation requires structured change  management. This platform will, therefore, only be as effective  as the collective commitment behind it, its success requires the  collaboration of all stakeholders, in the sense that: applicants  must ensure data accuracy, AAMEs must comply with digital  submission protocols, Operators must adopt verification  processes, Inspectors must maintain system discipline and NCAA  departments must align with workflow governance.

Alignment with Global Standards 

Our approach aligns with international best practices and ICAO  Annex 1 requirements for Personnel Licensing, global best  practices in medical certification governance, data protection  and cybersecurity principles and modern CAA digital governance  standards. This initiative strengthens Nigeria’s standing within  the global aviation community and enhances international  confidence in NCAA-issued secured credentials

In conclusion, distinguished stakeholders, I must commend  our team led by the PoC – Engr. Balang for their professionalism,  resilience, and technical dedication throughout this  implementation journey.

I also extend our appreciation to our implementation partner,  CS2 and the project manager for their technical expertise,  system integration support, and collaborative engagement.

I encourage all stakeholders to engage actively, ask questions,  provide constructive feedback, and prepare for full operational  adoption.

Thank you and GOD bless!