Sierra Leone President, Maada Bio Takes Over as ECOWAS Chairman From Tinubu

Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, has been elected as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), taking over from Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, who held the position for the past two years.

The announcement was made at the ECOWAS Summit held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where regional leaders convened to assess the bloc’s progress and set new priorities for cooperation.

Tinubu’s tenure focused on strengthening economic integration, improving regional security, and pushing for the restoration of constitutional rule in countries affected by military coups.

Contrary to earlier speculation that Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had been chosen during a closed-door meeting before the summit, the leadership baton was officially handed to President Bio.

In his acceptance speech, President Bio outlined four key priorities for his chairmanship: restoring constitutional order and promoting democracy, enhancing regional security collaboration, accelerating economic integration, and reinforcing institutional credibility.

President Tinubu was first elected ECOWAS Chairman in Guinea-Bissau on July 9, 2023, and re-elected a year later in Abuja to ensure continuity in advancing the bloc’s security, reconciliation, and development goals.