More than 20 years after African leaders adopted the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) to liberalise air transport across the continent, weak political will, institutional inefficiencies and protectionist national interests have continued to frustrate its full implementation.

Speaking on the delay of the decision and its implication to the continent’s economic development, an aviation expert and Managing Director, Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, said the Yamoussoukro Decision, which was designed to liberalise air transport and improve connectivity across Africa, had suffered persistent delays because its implementation depended on individual countries adjusting domestic policies, taxes, charges and regulatory frameworks.

Sanusi regretted that many of the continent’s governments, especially those in West Africa, were reluctant to implement the decisions despite their adoption.

He said: “A relevant precedent is the Yamoussoukro Decision on air transport liberalisation. Despite being adopted over 20 years ago, its implementation has been slow, uneven and incomplete across ECOWAS and Africa as a whole.

“Many states still maintain restrictive practices contrary to YD provisions. This history suggests that regional aviation resolutions, even when well-intended, face structural implementation challenges.”

According to Sanusi, the slow pace of regional integration within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had further compounded the implementation of the 25 per cent reduction in air transport charges and elimination of four other taxes within the region, as reached by the governments.

The region’s Heads of State and Government at the 66th Ordinary Session of the Authority, on December 15, 2024, in Abuja, signed an agreement eliminating some taxes and reducing the Passenger Service Charge (PSC) and Security Charges by 25 per cent, among other resolutions.

He noted that the absence of strong enforcement provisions had allowed countries to selectively comply with YD provisions while maintaining restrictive practices that undermine the spirit of liberalisation.

The aviation expert explained that regional bodies such as ECOWAS had largely relied on declarations and policy statements without adopting binding mechanisms to compel compliance.

“More than 20 years later, implementation remains slow, uneven and incomplete. Many states continue to apply protectionist measures that run contrary to the Yamoussoukro Decision.

“To achieve meaningful implementation, regional institutions must move beyond resolutions to enforceable frameworks that include clear timelines, compliance monitoring and penalties for defaulting states,” Sanusi said.

He noted that without renewed political will, accountability, and genuine commitment to integration, the objectives of the Yamoussoukro Decision and other resolutions would remain largely aspirational.

Also, the Managing Director of Flight & Logistics Solutions Ltd, Amos Akpan, said that the successful implementation of the ECOWAS air cost reduction resolution would depend on the political will of governments in the subregion.

He lamented that, despite several resolutions aimed at lowering aviation charges and improving air connectivity within West Africa, for instance, member states had failed to translate agreements into action, attributing this to weak political commitment.

Akpan stated that governments often agree to regional policies but neglect their responsibility to enforce them in their own countries, thereby frustrating operators and limiting the growth of intra-regional air travel.

He noted that ECOWAS protocols do not provide strict penalties for member states that fail to implement resolutions, making compliance largely optional and low.

Akpan maintained that without firm political action, resolutions such as this in aviation would remain mere policy statements with little practical impact.

“The governments of member states will soon realise operators from other regions will keep taking advantage of their inability to grow their aviation.

“Operators from other regions are currently building and growing their traffic with passengers and cargo from the West African subregion,” he added.

Robert Lisinge, ECA Director for Technology and Infrastructure, at a three-day technical workshop aimed at strengthening Africa’s civil aviation authorities in Nairobi, Kenya, said that industry experts were monitoring the implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision by African governments.

Lisinge said that the YD was not just an aviation goal, but a vital catalyst for trade growth for the continent.

Lisinge also emphasised the need to leverage digitalisation to enhance the efficiency of monitoring mechanisms.

To this end, he said the ECA was collaborating with the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) to digitise the monitoring system, ensuring it is accessible online for all member states.

In his address, Secretary General of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Abderahmane Berthe, affirmed that the association would continue to play its pivotal role in the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision.