Capt. Najomo Inaugurates National Air Transport Economic Oversight Committee to Drive ECOWAS Aviation Reforms
The Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA), Capt. Chris Najomo, has inaugurated the National Air Transport Economic Oversight Committee (NATEOC) to serve as Nigeria’s primary national coordinating platform to assess compliance, identify implementation gaps, recommend policy adjustments, and monitor progress towards fulfilling regional aviation policy obligations.
Delivering the keynote address at the inauguration ceremony held at the Authority’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja on the 14th October, 2026, Capt. Najomo, represented by the Director, Air Transport Regulation, Mrs Olayinka Babaoye-Iriobe, highlighted other responsibilities of the committee to include 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.
Recall that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government, during its 66th Ordinary Session held in Abuja on the 15th December, 2024, adopted the Supplementary Act A/SA.2/12/24, which addresses the common policy on aviation charges, taxes, and fees across member states.
The Act, as a major regional aviation reform policy, is aimed at reducing prohibitive air travel costs, boosting transparency in aviation services, strengthening economic oversight, and fostering healthy competition within the regional air transport market.
Elaborating on the committee’s specific mandate, Capt. Najomo noted that NATEOC’s responsibility is to translate the provisions of the Supplementary Act into practical, coordinated, and measurable national actions in strict conformity with ICAO Doc 9082.
To, therefore, achieve these goals, he added that the committee must actively and constructively engage with key industry stakeholders, including local airline operators and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Also speaking, the Director of Legal Services and Company Secretary, Mrs Mary Tufano-Eche, admonished the committee to painstakingly examine both legislative and legal frameworks backing the Supplementary Act. This is with a view to ensuring seamless integration into the national aviation framework, while preventing any legal friction with established ICAO documents and domestic regulations.
NATEOC is a multi-agency body comprising representatives from the Ministry of Aviation & Aerospace Development (FMAAD), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), and Federal Ministry of Finance (MOF).
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