At the 67th Ordinary Summit held in Abuja, Nigeria, on June 22, 2025, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio was elected new Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He succeeds Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and will serve a one-year term.
President Bio, a former military leader who transitioned to civilian governance in 2018, brings a wealth of political and regional experience to the role.
He was re-elected in 2023, though his second term has been marked by political tensions, including reported coup plots and the exile of his predecessor, Ernest Bai Koroma.
His appointment comes at a critical time for ECOWAS, as the region faces multiple governance challenges.
Four member states remain under military rule, and the Alliance of Sahel States formed by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger who have formally withdrawn from the bloc, straining regional cohesion.
Bio’s leadership is expected to be instrumental in navigating these turbulent dynamics and steering ECOWAS toward renewed unity and democratic stability.
