President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Authority of Heads of State and Government, succeeding Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The leadership transition took place at the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority held in Abuja, Nigeria, marking the end of President Tinubu’s two-term tenure. Tinubu was first elected in July 2023 in Guinea-Bissau and re-elected in 2024, serving for a year to help sustain regional efforts in security, reconciliation, and development.
President Bio’s emergence put to rest earlier speculations that Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had been chosen during a closed-door meeting ahead of the official session.
In his acceptance speech, Bio outlined his administration’s priorities to include restoring constitutional order, strengthening democratic governance, enhancing regional security cooperation, promoting economic integration, and reinforcing the credibility of ECOWAS institutions.
