June 22, (THEWILL) – Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, on Sunday assumed office as the new Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, succeeding Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu.
The handover ceremony took place during the 67th Ordinary Session of the regional bloc held in Abuja.
President Tinubu first assumed the ECOWAS chairmanship in July 2023 in Guinea-Bissau and was reappointed in 2024 to ensure continuity in addressing key security and governance challenges across the West African sub-region.
His tenure was marked by efforts to confront political instability, including a wave of military coups and rising terrorist threats in parts of the region.
In his inaugural address, President Bio outlined four key priorities for his tenure: restoring constitutional order and deepening democracy, revitalising regional security cooperation, unlocking economic integration, and enhancing institutional credibility.
He pledged to build on the foundation laid by President Tinubu and to work closely with other West African leaders to strengthen ECOWAS’s role in promoting peace, democratic governance, and economic development.
Tinubu’s handover marks the end of a leadership era defined by strong advocacy for regional unity, security, and resistance to unconstitutional changes of government.
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