President Bio Takes Over ECOWAS Leadership Following President Tinubu of Nigeria
- Sarah Kallay
- Jun 22, 2025
- 2 min read
His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, has been appointed as the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
This appointment took place after the West African Economic Summit (WAES) 2025, a pivotal event for leaders, policymakers, business stakeholders, and youth to advance economic integration and encourage investment throughout the sub-region. The summit was convened in Abuja, Nigeria, on June 20th and 21st.
The outgoing Chairperson, His Excellency President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, announced the transition during the 67th Ordinary Session of the Authority at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
President Tinubu remarked, “It has been a profound honor and privilege to lead this esteemed body, and I remain deeply humbled by the trust and support you have extended to me throughout my tenure. I now hand over the mantle of leadership to my great friend and dear brother, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, the new Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.”
President Bio expressed his deep gratitude to his fellow Heads of State and Government for entrusting him with the important responsibility of chairing the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
He stated, “I would like to express my gratitude to my fellow Heads of State and Government for entrusting me with the responsibility of chairing the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS. I am eager to strengthen our collaboration and work together towards a prosperous and thriving sub-region that benefits us all.”
Meanwhile, there has been an outpouring of congratulatory messages from his administration, notably from his wife, First Lady Fatima Bio, and Chief Minister David Sengeh.
President Bio assuming ECOWAS leadership following President Tinubu's tenure signals both continuity in the bloc's broader integration agenda and the inevitable priority recalibration that every leadership transition brings when a new personality and national context shapes which regional challenges receive the most urgent collective attention. Executives and government leaders navigating that shifting regional governance landscape often find a renowned government leadership seminar & course for executives in Lagos, Nigeria builds exactly the right institutional and diplomatic thinking these ECOWAS leadership transitions demand. Regional leadership handovers like this seem to matter most when incoming chairs inherit momentum rather than institutional uncertainty, making the quality of transition planning as consequential as the agenda priorities that follow it.