Romain EKOTO at the helm of ICAO's Regional Office for West and Central Africa
Published: Monday, 24 March 2025 19:02
This Cameroonian engineer was appointed on March 24, 2025, succeeding Mr Prospère ZO'O MINTO, who was recently promoted to head ASECNA. He will begin a four-year term of office, renewable once.
His selection from among 78 candidates is proof of his excellent career. The graduate of the Ecole Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (ENAC) in Toulouse, has built up an impressive career with over 20 years’ experience in the aviation sector. He began his career with Air France, where he distinguished himself by his contribution to the digitization of tools for crews, developing an innovative approach to the management of flight operations.
A commitment to Africa
In 2007, Romain EKOTO joined ICAO, marking a decisive turning point in his career. Based in Montreal, he devotes himself to developing and supervising technical cooperation projects to strengthen the capacities of African States. This mission enabled him to gain an in-depth understanding of the structural challenges hindering the development of air transport in Africa, such as inadequate infrastructure and market fragmentation.
In 2013, he became Regional Officer in Dakar, playing a key role in technical assistance and promoting air transport policies for West and Central Africa. For almost five years, he was at the heart of strategic decisions to harmonise regulations and structure a conducive framework for growth in the sector.
His recognized expertise in aviation policy engineering landed him a position at the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2018, where he was appointed Chief Aviation Officer, a position he held until his current appointment. In this role, he defined and implemented strategies for air transport, focusing on financing and modernizing airport infrastructure while promoting intra-African connectivity and adopting innovative technologies.
A promising future
As the new head of the ICAO Regional Office for West and Central Africa, he will be in charge of guiding aviation policies in a strategic region. With his multi-sector experience and knowledge of the institutional machinery, he will have to meet several major challenges. The modernization and securing of air infrastructures will be at the heart of his priorities, as will the effective integration of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM). With his excellent career path and experience, one can conclude that the new Regional Director is an embodiment of an ambitious vision for the development of air transport on the African continent.
Translation by: MKG/ARO-PRU