FG taps committee on high taxes, implement ECOWAS mandate

The Director-General, NCAA, Chris Najomo. Photo: NCAA

The Federal Government as inaugurated the National Air Transport Economic Oversight Committee to coordinate efforts to address high aviation taxes, charges and fees, while ensuring Nigeria’s compliance with the Economic Community of West African States regional aviation policy.

The Director-General of Civil Aviation, Chris Najomo, said the committee would serve as Nigeria’s primary national coordinating platform for implementing the regional policy and monitoring the country’s progress in meeting its obligations.

Najomo, who was represented by the Director of Air Transport Regulation, Mrs Olayinka Babaoye-Iriobe, stated this during the inauguration of the committee at the headquarters of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to the NCAA statement, the committee is expected “to assess compliance, identify implementation gaps, recommend policy adjustments, and monitor progress towards fulfilling regional aviation policy obligations.”

The NCAA boss said the committee’s responsibilities would extend beyond monitoring compliance to developing a practical framework for implementing the regional agreement and ensuring that its provisions were properly incorporated into Nigeria’s aviation regulatory system.

He explained that the committee would be responsible for “designing an implementation roadmap, reviewing compliance alongside legislative and regulatory measures, ensuring official publication in the national gazette, and collaborating closely with relevant regional institutions.”

The inauguration comes as Nigeria seeks to give effect to the ECOWAS Supplementary Act A/SA.2/12/24, adopted by the Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 66th Ordinary Session in Abuja on December 15, 2024.

The regional instrument establishes a common policy on aviation charges, taxes and fees across ECOWAS member states, with the objective of making air travel more affordable, improving transparency in aviation services and encouraging fair competition in the regional air transport market.

• ECOWAS court president vows rule of law, timely justice
• New ECOWAS court president pledges timely justice, others
• IATA reports 0.8% decline in global passenger traffic

Operators relying on data from the International Air Transport Association have continued to lament that Nigeria was among countries imposing highest aviation taxes and charges in Africa.

The policy is particularly significant for an industry in which taxes, fees and other charges contribute to the overall cost of flying.

Elaborating on the committee’s mandate, Babaoye-Iriobe said NATEOC must ensure that the Supplementary Act moves beyond policy commitments to practical implementation.

The NCAA durther noted that the committee’s responsibility was “to translate the provisions of the Supplementary Act into practical, coordinated, and measurable national actions in strict conformity with ICAO Doc 9082.”

To achieve this, the Director-General emphasised the need for sustained engagement with stakeholders across the aviation industry, particularly domestic airline operators and the International Air Transport Association.

Also speaking at the inauguration, the Director of Legal Services and Company Secretary, Mrs Mary Tufano-Eche, urged members of the committee to pay close attention to the legal and legislative provisions underpinning the ECOWAS Supplementary Act.

She stressed the importance of examining the relevant frameworks to ensure that the regional policy could be incorporated into Nigeria’s aviation system without creating conflicts with existing laws and regulations.