PEL: Need for competent aviation personnel increasingly important – NCAA

The Director-General Civil Aviation (DGCA), Captain Chris Najomo, says the need for competent personnel and reliable assessment systems becomes increasingly important as Nigeria’s aviation industry expands with the growth of operators, airports and training organisations.

Captain Chris Najomo stated this at the commencement of the comprehensive review of existing Personnel Licensing (PEL) examinations by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to improve assessment standards in conformity with evolving changes in regulations, technology, operational practices and industry requirements.

Represented by the Director, Operations, Licensing and Training Standards (DOLTS), Captain Donald Spiff, at the workshop organised by the NCAA PEL Examination Committee in Lagos on Monday, October 12, 2026, Najomo outlined three key priorities for the review.

These include reviewing existing examination questions, developing new questions to reflect emerging aviation technologies and operational demands as well as ensuring alignment with national regulations and international standards, including ICAO Annex 1 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Najomo said the committee was established to facilitate the Authority’s examination functions, including the development, conduct and periodic revision of tests administered for the issuance of licences, certificates and ratings under Part 2 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) 2023.

According to him, “As the Committee’s work is critical to aviation safety, and PEL examinations directly influence the competence of Pilots, Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and Air Traffic Controllers operating within the aviation industry, it must possess technical expertise, integrity and a thorough understanding of aviation regulations, as examination questions must be accurate, objective, fair and aligned with approved syllabi.”

Najomo urged the committee members to use the workshop to strengthen assessment standards and contribute to a safer and more efficient Nigerian aviation industry.

The workshop, which brings together members of the Examination Committee, aviation safety inspectors, licence examiners, industry subject matter experts and representatives of Approved Training Organisations, is expected to support the ongoing review and updating of examination questions across various licence categories, while promoting the development of new questions for modern-generation aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aircraft.

The theme of the five-day workshop was “Transforming Personnel Licensing Through Computer-Based Testing.”