NCAA Grants Arco Aviation Academy First-of-its-Kind RPAS Training Approval
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has officially certified Arco Aviation Academy as an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) for Remote Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) courses, marking a milestone in the nation’s quest to develop home-grown expertise in unmanned aviation.
At a brief hand-over ceremony in the Authority’s Abuja headquarters on Wednesday, the Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt Chris Najomo, presented the coveted certificate after the academy sailed through NCAA’s rigorous five-phase approval regime.
“Arco has met every regulatory requirement we set,” Capt Najomo declared. “The real work begins now: upholding those standards daily. Be assured that the Authority will maintain robust surveillance and provide full support.”
The certification follows exhaustive assessments in accordance with Nig.CARs Part 21, covering areas such as:
General administration & management structure
Instructional delivery methods
Courseware and lesson plans
Record-keeping systems
Quality assurance frameworks
Having demonstrated full compliance, Arco Aviation Academy is cleared to run three specialised programmes:
Basic Remote Pilot Course
Remote Pilot Course (BLOS – Beyond Line-of-Sight)
Remote Pilot Course (BVLOS – Extended Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight)
Chairman of the NCAA Flight Standards Group and Director of Aerodrome & Airspace Standards, Engr Godwin Balang, hailed the endorsement as “a pioneering collaboration that will not only expand human-capacity development but also inject fresh momentum into Nigeria’s aviation economy”.
Certification Project Manager Capt Maikano T.W. paid tribute to “the collective effort that made today possible” and applauded the DGCA’s unwavering backing throughout the process.
Grateful for the nod, Mr Okosubide Mozimo, Managing Director of Arco Aviation Academy, attributed the achievement to “nearly a decade of NCAA guidance,” singling out Engr Balang for support “dating back to 2016”.
Mr Wisdom Erae, the academy’s Accountable Manager, pledged to “surpass every benchmark, delivering world-class RPAS training while remaining fully compliant with evolving regulations”.
With drones fast transforming sectors from agriculture to emergency response, analysts view Arco’s approval as a strategic boost for Nigeria’s burgeoning UAS market.
NCAA directors, the certification team and academy executives who witnessed the ceremony expressed confidence that the new ATO will become a hub for next-generation remote-pilot talent across West Africa.
