President Bio Elected ECOWAS Chairperson First Sierra Leonean to Lead West Africa's Premier Bloc
President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has officially assumed the Chairmanship of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), marking a historic milestone as the first Sierra Leonean Head of State to hold this esteemed position.
The election took place on Sunday, 22 June 2025, during the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. President Bio succeeds His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, who served two consecutive terms as Chairman.
"I accept this responsibility with full awareness of the magnitude of the task ahead and the complexity of the moment." — President Julius Maada Bio, inaugural address as ECOWAS Chair
Four Priority Areas
In his acceptance remarks, President Bio outlined four strategic priorities:
(1) Restoring constitutional order and deepening democracy across the region;
(2) Revitalising regional security cooperation;
(3) Unlocking economic integration;
(4) Building institutional credibility.
President Bio’s election comes at a critical time for the West African bloc, which is grappling with political instability, security concerns, and the formal withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger effective January 2025 — which altered ECOWAS’s internal voting dynamics
