The excessive cost of air travel within West Africa is severely hampering regional integration and economic development, the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament warned Tuesday at a high-level meeting in Lomé.
Speaker Mémounatou Ibrahima described the prohibitive airfares as a significant obstacle to implementing the ECOWAS Free Movement Protocols, which are essential to achieving the bloc’s vision of regional cohesion.
“The prohibitive costs of air travel between our countries hinder the free movement of people and compromise our ambitions for regional integration,” Ibrahima told delegates attending the Delocalised Meeting of ECOWAS Parliament’s Joint Committee on Infrastructure, Energy and Mines, Agriculture, Environment, and Natural Resources.
The five-day meeting, themed “Air Transport as a Means of Integration for West African Peoples: A Strategy for Reducing Airline Ticket Costs,” brings together parliamentarians and aviation experts to address what officials describe as the highest regional airfares globally.
ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalisation, Sédiko Douka, confirmed that West African airfares rank as the most expensive in the world, noting that this issue has caught the attention of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.
“The Authority has mandated the commission to coordinate and harmonise member states’ air transport policies, programmes, and projects,” Douka said, adding that implementation of community texts addressing the issue is scheduled to begin January 1, 2026.
Speaker Ibrahima identified multiple factors driving the high costs, including:
- Multiple taxes and charges imposed across regional airports
- National airlines operating in isolation rather than cooperation
- Inadequate modern aviation infrastructure
- Weak implementation of agreements meant to liberalise African airspace, particularly the Yamoussoukro Declaration
She emphasised that air transport is crucial for promoting trade, stimulating tourism, strengthening cultural ties, and contributing to economic growth across the region.
The Vice President of the Togolese National Assembly, Dzereke Yao, echoed these concerns, calling the current situation “paradoxical” given West Africa’s “considerable potential, whether in population size, economic growth, or youthful dynamism.”
Without an efficient and affordable air transport system, Speaker Ibrahima warned that the ECOWAS Vision 2050, particularly its third pillar focusing on “Economic Integration and Interconnectivity,” would remain unattainable.
The parliamentary meeting is expected to produce recommendations to guide member states and relevant institutions in establishing a policy framework for more accessible regional air transport. Implementation of these measures will require a 15-month preparation period, particularly for budgetary planning.
“I am convinced that the discussions during this meeting will lead to concrete proposals to address this major challenge,” Speaker Ibrahima concluded.
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