At the 67th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS in Abuja today, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu formally transferred leadership of the regional bloc to Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio. Tinubu began his tenure as chair on July 9, 2023, was re-elected in 2024, and ends his term with a passionate appeal to member states to activate ECOWAS’s standby force more swiftly to confront regional threats .
In his farewell address, Tinubu reflected on his term as a “profound honour and privilege,” expressing deep optimism about West Africa’s future. He urged continued cooperation among member nations to uphold peace, security, democratic standards, and economic integration .
Stepping into the role, President Bio outlined his four-point agenda: restoring constitutional order and democratic institutions, reinvigorating joint security efforts, deepening economic integration, and bolstering ECOWAS’s credibility . Bio brings to the table his record of advocating ECOWAS sanctions and supporting military intervention during Niger’s 2023 coup—moves which preceded its exit from the bloc. Niger joined Mali and Burkina Faso in forming the Alliance of Sahel States, a sign of growing regional fragmentation .
Nigeria now hands the gavel over at a time of unprecedented challenge for ECOWAS. The organisation faces a slew of security crises—from jihadist insurgencies in the Sahel and coastal regions to democratic regressions—and must contend with the departure of its Sahelian members . Bio’s leadership begins amid this turmoil, as the bloc strives to stabilize its democratic foundation and reforge unity.
