NCAA vs EASA Part-66: Is Your Study Material Valid in Nigeria?
If you are training as an aircraft maintenance engineer in Nigeria, whether EASA Part-66 study material applies depends on your route. Nigeria's national NCAA licence is its own ICAO-based system — but EASA and UK-CAA Part-66 module exams are also sat inside Nigeria. Here is the plain-English explanation, with official sources at the foot of the page.
The bottom line
Nigeria's NCAA licence is the country's own ICAO-based Aircraft Maintenance Engineer's Licence (Nig.CARs Part 2), built around Airframe / Powerplant / Avionics ratings — not the EASA Part-66 A/B1/B2 module structure. So EASA Part-66 is not the legal basis of the Nigerian licence. But EASA study material is still genuinely useful: the technical knowledge overlaps heavily, and EASA / UK-CAA Part-66 module exams are physically delivered in Nigeria through approved training organisations — a route many Nigerian engineers take to widen their international employability. The licences remain separate and are not automatically recognised.
Two routes, at a glance
EASA / UK Part-66 route (in Nigeria)
- EASA / UK-CAA Part-66 module exams delivered locally (e.g. via Air Service Training, Perth)
- Same 17 modules, A/B1/B2/B3/C categories, 75% pass mark
- EASA Part-66 study material is direct preparation
- Widens international employability alongside the NCAA licence
National NCAA route
- NCAA AMEL under Nig.CARs Part 2 (ICAO Annex 1 standards)
- Ratings: Airframe, Powerplant, Avionics (+ type ratings)
- EASA study is strong grounding in the same technical subjects
- NCAA and EASA licences are separate and not automatically recognised
How Nigeria licenses maintenance engineers
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) issues the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer's Licence under the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) Part 2 — Personnel Licensing (the AME rules are in Subpart 2.6). The NCAA states that Part 2 “presents detailed personnel licensing requirements that meet the standards contained in ICAO Annex 1” — so it is Nigeria's own ICAO-based licence, not the EASA Part-66 regulation.
Instead of EASA's A/B1/B2 categories, the NCAA licence carries ratings — Airframe, Powerplant and Avionics (plus aircraft type ratings). Applicants pass the NCAA's own knowledge tests (air law and airworthiness; natural science and aircraft general knowledge; aircraft engineering; aircraft maintenance; human performance), rating-specific tests and a skill test, and must meet the experience requirements below. The minimum age is 18 and English-language proficiency is required.
Are the modules and exams the same?
It depends on your route. On the EASA / UK-CAA Part-66 route sat in Nigeria the exams are Part-66 — the same 17 modules and 75% pass mark. The national NCAA licence uses its own ICAO-based syllabus and ratings. Here is the side-by-side:
| What | EASA Part-66 | NCAA national licence | Same? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governing rule | EASA Part-66 (Reg (EU) No 1321/2014) | Nig.CARs Part 2 (ICAO Annex 1) | |
| Basic-knowledge structure | 17 modules (Appendix I) | NCAA subject tests (air law, engineering, maintenance, human performance) | |
| Exam pass mark | 75% | Set by the NCAA | |
| Licence structure | Categories A, B1, B2, B3, C | Airframe / Powerplant / Avionics ratings | |
| EASA / UK Part-66 exams in Nigeria | Sat via Part-147 organisations | Available locally (Eastwing + AST Perth) | |
| Underlying engineering knowledge | Aircraft engineering, systems, human factors | Same subject matter | |
| Licence recognition | — | No mutual NCAA ↔ EASA recognition |
The EASA figures (17 modules, 75% pass mark) are the Part-66 standard sat via the local training route. The NCAA sets its own syllabus and exam parameters — confirm those directly with the NCAA.
NCAA experience requirements
Nig.CARs Part 2 (clause 2.6.2.6) sets the practical experience needed for each rating, with a shorter path for graduates of an approved training organisation (ATO):
| Rating | Practical route | Approved-training route |
|---|---|---|
| Airframe | 30 months | 24 months |
| Powerplant | 30 months | 24 months |
| Airframe + Powerplant | 48 months | 30 months |
| Avionics | 36 months | 18 months ATO + 12 months practical |
| All three ratings | 60 months | 42 months ATO + 12 months practical |
Figures from Nig.CARs Part 2, clause 2.6.2.6. All prescribed tests must be passed within a 24-month period. Confirm the current values with the NCAA before relying on them.
EASA / UK-CAA Part-66 exams in Nigeria
Alongside the NCAA licence, EASA and UK-CAA Part-66 module examinations are delivered inside Nigeria. Training organisations such as Eastwing Aviation (Lagos) run these in collaboration with Air Service Training (AST), Perth, Scotland — a UK-CAA and EASA Part-147 approved organisation — so Nigerian engineers can sit the same Part-66 module exams locally and build toward a UK / EASA Part-66 licence without leaving the country.
What this means if you're studying in Nigeria
If you are taking the EASA / UK-CAA Part-66 route in Nigeria, our question bank is direct preparation — all 17 modules to the same 75% standard. If you are on the national NCAA route, the same material is strong grounding in the aircraft-engineering, systems and human-performance subjects the NCAA tests. Study the air-law element from your route's own material.
EASA Part-66 in Nigeria — frequently asked questions
Does Nigeria use EASA Part-66 for aircraft maintenance licensing?
Is EASA Part-66 study material useful for aircraft maintenance exams in Nigeria?
Can I sit EASA or UK-CAA Part-66 exams in Nigeria?
What ratings does the NCAA licence use?
Is an NCAA licence recognised as an EASA Part-66 licence (or vice versa)?
Sources
Primary statements come from the NCAA and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations Part 2. Training-provider and market details are labelled secondary. Verify each point directly:
-
NCAA — Aircraft Maintenance Engineer's Licence · the NCAA is the issuer; the licence is governed by Nig.CARs Part 2.
ncaa.gov.ng/services/general/aircraft-maintenance-engineer-s-licence -
Nig.CARs Part 2 — Personnel Licensing · the regulation itself: ICAO Annex 1 basis, Airframe/Powerplant/Avionics ratings, knowledge and skill tests, experience months (Subpart 2.6).
ncaa.gov.ng/documents/regulations/nigeria-civil-aviation-regulations-nig-cars-part-2 -
Eastwing Aviation — EASA / UK-CAA Part-66 exams · secondary: EASA / UK Part-66 module examinations delivered in Nigeria in collaboration with Air Service Training (Perth), a UK-CAA / EASA Part-147 organisation.
eastwingaviation.com.ng/training-programs/easa-part-66-exam
Information last verified against the sources above: July 2026.
This page is general information to help you prepare, not legal advice. Regulations can change — always confirm your own licensing situation on the official NCAA website before making decisions.