By George Ozalla
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has inaugurated the National Air Transport Economic Oversight Committee (NATEOC) to coordinate Nigeria’s implementation of regional aviation reforms aimed at reducing air travel costs, improving transparency and strengthening competition in the West African air transport market.
The Director-General of Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, inaugurated the committee at the NCAA Corporate Headquarters in Abuja on October 14, 2026.
Speaking through the Director of Air Transport Regulation, Mrs Olayinka Babaoye-Iriobe, Najomo said the committee would serve as Nigeria’s principal coordinating platform for assessing compliance with regional aviation obligations, identifying implementation gaps, recommending policy adjustments and monitoring progress.
He explained that the committee would also develop an implementation roadmap, review the legislative and regulatory measures required to give effect to the regional policy, ensure its official publication in the national gazette and work with relevant regional institutions.
The committee’s inauguration follows the adoption of Supplementary Act A/SA.2/12/24 by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 66th Ordinary Session in Abuja on December 15, 2024. The Act establishes a common regional policy on aviation charges, taxes and fees across member states.
The policy is intended to address the high cost of air travel within the region, promote transparency in aviation services, strengthen economic oversight and encourage fair competition among air transport operators.
Najomo stated that NATEOC was expected to translate the provisions of the Supplementary Act into practical, coordinated and measurable national actions in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Doc 9082, which provides policies on charges for airports and air navigation services.
He also stressed the need for the committee to engage constructively with industry stakeholders, particularly domestic airline operators and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), to ensure that the implementation process reflects the realities of the aviation industry.
The Director of Legal Services and Company Secretary of the NCAA, Mrs Mary Tufano-Eche, urged members to carefully examine the legislative and legal frameworks supporting the Supplementary Act.
She said the review was necessary to ensure that the regional policy could be incorporated into Nigeria’s aviation framework without creating conflicts with existing domestic regulations and applicable ICAO provisions.
NATEOC is a multi-agency committee comprising representatives of the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, Nigeria Revenue Service and Federal Ministry of Finance.
The committee is expected to coordinate the work of these institutions towards implementing the ECOWAS policy within Nigeria’s aviation sector.
