President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has been named the new Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, taking over from Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The handover took place at the 67th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS held in Abuja on Sunday. Tinubu, who had served two consecutive terms as ECOWAS Chair, officially passed on the leadership to President Bio during the meeting attended by West African leaders.
This announcement put to rest earlier speculations that Senegal’s President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, had been chosen during a closed-door meeting before the summit.
In his first address as ECOWAS Chairman, President Bio outlined four major priorities: restoring constitutional rule and promoting democracy, strengthening regional security partnerships, boosting economic cooperation, and improving the credibility of ECOWAS institutions.
President Tinubu was first elected ECOWAS Chair on July 9, 2023, in Guinea-Bissau and was re-elected in Abuja in 2024 to lead efforts in addressing insecurity, political instability, and regional development.
As ECOWAS continues to face challenges like coups, economic hardships, and terrorism in parts of West Africa, leaders at the summit expressed hope that the new leadership will help restore peace and unity in the region.
