Nigeria's president, Bola Tinubu ends tenure as ECOWAS chairman

President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has officially taken over the rotating chairmanship of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), succeeding Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

• President Julius Maada Bio has assumed the rotating chairmanship of ECOWAS, succeeding Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
• The transition of leadership was officiated at the ECOWAS Summit held in Abuja, Nigeria.
• President Bio outlined priorities including constitutional restoration, regional security enhancement, economic integration, and institutional credibility.

Bio replaces Nigeria's president, Tinubu, whose two-term tenure was marked by significant regional turbulence and efforts to preserve democratic governance within the bloc.

The leadership transition was confirmed at the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government Summit held in Abuja, Nigeria, where leaders gathered to review security, political, and economic developments in the region.

President Tinubu, who assumed the chairmanship in July 2023 and was renewed for a second term in 2024, formally handed over the mantle of leadership to President Bio at the close of the summit.

In his handover speech, Tinubu thanked the leaders for the confidence reposed in him twice as the chairman of the Authority.

He said, “As we look forward to the future of West Africa, I remain positive that with the continued cooperation of all its members, ECOWAS will scale over greater heights in our collective pursuit of peace, security, stability and prosperity for our people and for our region."

President Bio, in his inaugural speech, promised to prioritize four key areas, namely: restoring constitutional order and deepening democracy, revitalizing regional security cooperation, unlocking economic integration, and building institutional credibility.

Regional conflict taints Tinubu’s ECOWAS tenure

President Tinubu’s tenure as ECOWAS chairman was marked by unprecedented challenges.

During his leadership, the bloc faced widespread political instability, a wave of attempted coups, and growing public discontent across several West African nations.

Most notably, three member states—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—withdrew from ECOWAS and formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), openly defying the bloc’s authority.

Tinubu was particularly vocal about the need to restore civilian rule in the region, and his leadership was instrumental in formulating sanctions and mediation strategies aimed at reversing unconstitutional transitions of power.

Despite repeated diplomatic overtures, ECOWAS under Tinubu struggled to enforce its authority.

Tinubu's hardline stance faced resistance, and the complete exit of the AES countries in January 2025 dealt a major blow to ECOWAS cohesion, undermining efforts to preserve the bloc’s leadership in regional security and integration.

Incoming chairman President Julius Maada Bio inherits a fractured landscape, with expectations to repair diplomatic rifts, rebuild unity, and advance ECOWAS's economic goals, including regional trade and the long-delayed common currency.

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