Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has assumed the chairmanship of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, replacing Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
His election took place during the 67th Ordinary Summit held in Abuja, Nigeria, on June 22. A former Brigadier General and briefly a military leader in 1996, Bio transitioned to democratic leadership in 2018 and secured a second term in 2023. His one-year mandate begins as ECOWAS navigates mounting internal and regional political complexities.
President Bio’s appointment comes against a backdrop of serious challenges confronting the West African bloc. These include political unrest in Sierra Leone, marked by claims of a coup attempt and the exile of former President Bai Koroma. More broadly, ECOWAS grapples with a fractured membership, as three nations—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—now governed by military regimes, have withdrawn from the bloc to form the Alliance of Sahel States. His leadership is expected to be tested as he steers the organisation through this turbulent period.