By John Moses
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has been elected Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), taking over from Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu during the organisation’s 67th Ordinary Session, which also marked its 50th anniversary.
Held in Abuja, the summit brought together leaders from across the region to assess the state of peace, security, and economic development in West Africa.
President Tinubu, who chaired the bloc for two consecutive terms, sounded a note of caution over worsening insecurity in the region and the slow progress in deploying the ECOWAS Standby Force. “We must act decisively to operationalise the ECOWAS Standby Force to combat terrorism and stabilise our region,” he warned.
Highlighting the cross-border nature of violent extremism, arms trafficking, and other transnational crimes, Tinubu stressed that collaborative action was essential, adding that Nigeria had played a leading role by completing a logistics depot in Sierra Leone and offering logistical support.
He further urged his counterparts to speed up critical infrastructure and economic integration projects, including the Abidjan-Lagos Highway and the West African Power Pool, while championing youth and women’s inclusion.
In his acceptance remarks, President Bio described his election as a “humbling responsibility” and pledged to steer the bloc towards democratic renewal, economic cooperation, and institutional reform.
“Our region is at a crossroads,” he said. “We face not only security threats but also a crisis of confidence in our democratic processes. We must respond with transparency, unity, and action.”
He acknowledged President Tinubu’s tenure for its contributions to peacebuilding and regional cooperation, vowing to deepen those gains with reforms that enhance public trust in ECOWAS.
Dr Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, paid tribute to the organisation’s founding leaders, including Nigeria’s General Yakubu Gowon and Côte d’Ivoire’s Félix Houphouët-Boigny. He also thanked President Tinubu and Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, for their pivotal support in advancing the regional agenda.
President Bio closed with a rallying message: “Let us embrace this moment not as isolated nations but as a united community. West Africa’s destiny lies in our hands.”
