Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio, has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), succeeding Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The announcement was made during the 67th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS, held on Sunday in Abuja, Nigeria.
President Bio, a former military ruler who briefly led Sierra Leone in 1996, returned to power through democratic means after winning the presidential election in 2018. He was re-elected for a second term in 2023.
His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the regional bloc, which is facing significant political unrest and security challenges. Three member countries—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—are currently governed by military regimes and have withdrawn from ECOWAS to form the Alliance of Sahel States. It remains uncertain whether President Bio, whose chairmanship is expected to last one year, will focus on rebuilding ties with these breakaway nations.
Ghana’s President, John Dramani Mahama, was present at the summit in Abuja and has since returned to Accra.
