As West Africa confronts mounting security threats and democratic backsliding, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has been appointed as the new Chairman of ECOWAS, ushering in a leadership transition at a pivotal time for the regional bloc.
Bio’s election was confirmed on Sunday during ECOWAS’s 67th Ordinary Session in Abuja, which also served as the organisation’s 50th anniversary celebration. He succeeds Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu, who held the role for two terms.
President Tinubu, addressing the gathering of regional leaders, decried the lagging implementation of the ECOWAS Standby Force, intended to combat terrorism and respond to regional security crises. “The delay threatens our collective stability,” he cautioned. “We need decisive action now.”
He highlighted Nigeria’s contributions under his leadership, including the establishment of a logistics hub in Lungi, Sierra Leone, and the provision of military transport support, while urging partners to pursue economic cooperation and infrastructure expansion.
Tinubu also appealed for deeper integration through initiatives like the Abidjan-Lagos Highway and digital transformation strategies, calling on governments to invest in youth empowerment and equitable development.
In taking up the mantle, President Bio signalled a clear reformist agenda. “This is a moment of reckoning,” he said. “Citizens are demanding more than democratic rituals—they want accountability, equity, and opportunity.”
Pledging to revitalise ECOWAS institutions, enhance security coordination, and promote intra-regional trade, Bio called for bold action to rebuild faith in the bloc’s mission. “We must move from words to results, from ambition to impact,” he declared.
The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Touray, praised the founding architects of the regional body and extended gratitude to Nigeria’s foreign affairs team for its collaborative role under Tinubu’s leadership.
As the summit concluded, there was consensus among member states that ECOWAS must adapt to meet the pressing challenges of the next decade. In Bio’s words, “Our shared future will be defined by the courage we summon today. Together, we must rise.”
