Tinubu Transfers ECOWAS Chairmanship To Sierra Leone’s President Bio
President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has officially handed over the chairmanship of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to Sierra Leone’s President, Julius Maada Bio.
The leadership transition took place at the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held on Sunday at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.
Confirming the development, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said, “Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio is the new chairman of ECOWAS. He succeeds President Bola Tinubu, who chaired the regional economic bloc for the past two years.”
Tinubu’s tenure faced significant regional challenges, including a series of military coups and growing political instability across West Africa. President Bio is now expected to lead the bloc amid heightened security threats, democratic regressions, and worsening economic conditions.
Ahead of the ECOWAS summit, Tinubu hosted the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES), a two-day event held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja. The summit focused on strengthening regional trade and investment cooperation.
Attendees included leaders from Ghana, Liberia, Senegal, Benin, Togo, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Sierra Leone, alongside ministers and officials from ECOWAS institutions and pan-African economic bodies like the West African Monetary Agency (WAMA), ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), and AfCFTA Secretariat.
“The Economic Summit… is expected to yield concrete outcomes and deliverables to fast-track West Africa’s integration agenda as a critical foundation for sustainable peace, security, and prosperity in the region,” Onanuga noted.
Tinubu also extended invitations beyond the ECOWAS bloc to members of the Alliance of Sahelian States — Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger — as well as Mauritania, in a bid to ease regional tensions following their withdrawal from ECOWAS.
The Nigerian President dispatched envoys, including Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, to deliver formal invitations across the region.
In his goodwill message, President Bio highlighted the region’s abundant natural resources and youthful population as assets that must be harnessed through deeper integration to overcome challenges such as debt, climate change, and food insecurity.
“As leaders facing global economic competition, we must take decisive actions to accelerate regional integration programmes vital for economic growth and shared prosperity,” Bio said.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
