press realease

📢 Press Release · 8 March 2026 · State House, Freetown President Bio Announces 25% RSLAF Salary Increase, Launches National Defence Policy on Armed Forces Day On the occasion of the 17th Armed Forces Day of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio delivered a keynote address at the Julius Maada Bio Parade Square, Wilberforce Barracks, announcing a 25% salary increase for the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and launching the country’s new National Defence Policy and Strategy. The address marked the formal dedication of the parade square to President Bio — the first Sierra Leonean born after independence to serve as Head of State, in both his military and democratic capacities. The salary increase was welcomed by RSLAF leadership as a recognition of the professionalism and sacrifice of Sierra Leone’s military, and the National Defence Policy was described by the President as a forward-looking framework for a military that protects democracy, not supplants it

📢 Press Release · 8 March 2026 · State House, Freetown President Bio Marks International Women’s Day, Reaffirms Gender Equality as a Governance Priority His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio delivered a national and ECOWAS regional address on International Women’s Day 2026, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to gender equality as a structural governance priority — not a ceremonial acknowledgement. The address, delivered in his dual capacity as President of Sierra Leone and Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, drew on Sierra Leone’s legislative record under his administration: the Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Act (30% quota for women in governance), free STEM university tuition for women, targeted scholarships for girls in science disciplines, and the abolition of child marriage. ❝ “Women’s leadership is not a concession to be granted, it is a right to be affirmed.”  President Julius Maada Bio, IWD Address 2026 The President called for structural change in attitudes as well as law, and challenged ECOWAS member states to adopt comparable legislative frameworks during his chairmanship. He was joined in the address by the UN Women Regional Director, who paid a courtesy call on President Bio to reaffirm support for Sierra Leone’s gender reform agenda.

📢 Press Release · 22 June 2025 · Abuja, Nigeria 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