President Bio Appoints Yumkella ECOWAS Special Envoy for Summit

President Bio Appoints Yumkella ECOWAS Special Envoy for Summit

His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has designated the Honourable Alhaji Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella as Special Envoy, tasked with convening a significant ECOWAS Regional Integration and Investment Summit. This strategic appointment is intended to accelerate economic collaboration and secure vital investment across the West African sub-region.

The appointment, effective immediately, was formalized in a communication dated January 23, 2026, issued by the Secretary to the President, Barba B. Fortune. Dr. Yumkella will spearhead the organization of a high-level regional summit focused on advancing economic integration through expanded intra-regional trade and increased capital investment in critical sectors, specifically energy, minerals, and agribusiness.

The Office of the President indicates that the proposed summit aims to proactively counter political instability and governance deficits within the sub-region. It seeks to achieve this by stimulating robust economic growth, simplifying cross-border commerce, and establishing new investment channels to foster industrial development and promote shared regional prosperity.

In his capacity as Chairman of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, President Bio is scheduled to co-host the summit alongside His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, in close collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission Secretariat.

Dr. Yumkella's mandate as Special Envoy includes close coordination with a dedicated Steering Committee comprising eight key ministerial departments, facilitating engagement with the Nigerian government and all other ECOWAS member states, and serving as the primary liaison with the ECOWAS Commission, development partners, and private sector stakeholders in the planning and execution of the summit.

This appointment underscores the Republic of Sierra Leone’s burgeoning leadership commitment within ECOWAS and its proactive strategy to leverage regional integration as a fundamental mechanism for economic transformation and stability throughout West Africa.