President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has been elected as the new chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), taking over from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, who held the position for the past two years.
Bio emerged as chairman on Sunday during the 67th ordinary session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, held in Abuja.
Ahead of the summit, speculation had mounted that Senegalese President Bassirou Faye might be selected, but member states elected Bio to lead the regional bloc amid growing regional security and democratic challenges.
In his post-election remarks, Bio outlined his priorities, which include restoring constitutional order, deepening democracy, revitalising regional security cooperation, unlocking economic integration, and building institutional credibility.
During his two-year tenure, Tinubu presided over a turbulent period in the region. His leadership faced key challenges following the military takeovers in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all of which eventually withdrew from the bloc.
At the close of his term, Tinubu called on the breakaway countries to return to ECOWAS and reiterated the importance of unity in confronting threats to democracy and stability across West Africa.
