June 05, (THEWILL) – The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has officially certified ARCO Aviation Academy as an Approved Training Organization (ATO) for Remote Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) training, marking a major milestone in Nigeria’s push for capacity development in unmanned aviation.
The certification, presented at a brief ceremony on Wednesday at the NCAA headquarters in Abuja, followed the successful completion of a rigorous five-phase approval process, including full compliance with relevant provisions of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) Part 21.
Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo, who handed over the certificate, commended the academy for meeting all regulatory requirements and urged the institution to sustain the standards going forward.
“This marks the beginning of real responsibility
“NCAA will continue to offer full support while maintaining strict oversight through its surveillance systems,” Najomo stated.
The academy is now authorized to run key RPAS training programmes, including the Basic Remote Pilot Course, Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), and Visual Line of Sight (BLOS) courses.
According to NCAA, the inspection covered several critical areas such as general administration and management structure, instructional delivery methods, courseware and lesson plans, quality systems, and record-keeping.
Chairman of NCAA’s Flight Standards Group and Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, Engr. Godwin Balang, described the certification as a landmark collaboration that would not only grow local capacity but also strengthen Nigeria’s aviation economy.
Also speaking, Capt. Maikano T.W., Certification Project Manager, praised the academy’s diligence and lauded the DGCA’s leadership, describing the achievement as “the result of teamwork and shared vision.”
In his remarks, Managing Director of ARCO Aviation Academy, Mr. Okosubide Mozimo, expressed gratitude to NCAA and acknowledged Engr. Balang for his long-standing support dating back to 2016.
The Academy’s Accountable Manager, Mr. Wisdom Erae, reaffirmed their commitment to regulatory compliance and pledged to set new standards in drone and RPAS training in Nigeria.
The ceremony was attended by NCAA directors, members of the certification team, and the ARCO Aviation leadership.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
