President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), taking over from Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who led the regional bloc for the past two years.
The leadership transition was officially announced during the ECOWAS Summit held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where West African leaders gathered to assess the bloc’s progress and outline future priorities.
President Tinubu’s tenure was marked by a strong focus on regional security, economic integration, and efforts to restore democratic governance in member states affected by military coups.
Contrary to earlier reports suggesting that Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had been chosen during a closed-door session before the summit, President Bio was formally confirmed as the new ECOWAS Chair.
In his acceptance speech, President Bio outlined his agenda, pledging to focus on four strategic pillars: restoring constitutional order and strengthening democracy, enhancing regional security collaboration, accelerating economic integration, and reinforcing institutional credibility within ECOWAS.
President Tinubu was first elected ECOWAS Chairman on July 9, 2023, in Guinea-Bissau and re-elected in 2024 to maintain continuity in the bloc’s efforts toward regional peace, stability, and development.
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