Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has officially taken over as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), succeeding Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who served in the role for the past two years.
The announcement was made at the ECOWAS Summit held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where regional leaders met to assess the bloc’s direction and discuss shared challenges. Tinubu’s term focused on regional security, economic cooperation, and efforts to restore constitutional governance in member states affected by military takeovers.
President Bio, in his first address as Chairman, laid out four key priorities for his leadership: restoring constitutional order and strengthening democracy, deepening regional security cooperation, promoting economic integration, and reinforcing institutional credibility within ECOWAS.
His election puts to rest earlier speculation that Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had secured the role during closed-door discussions before the formal session began.
Tinubu was first elected ECOWAS Chair in July 2023 in Guinea-Bissau and was re-elected in 2024 during the summit in Abuja to maintain continuity on critical issues. His extended tenure was marked by efforts to unify member states around shared security and development goals.
President Bio now assumes the role at a time of both opportunity and strain for the West African bloc, with expectations high for stronger leadership amid ongoing political and economic challenges across the region.
