• Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio elected ECOWAS Chair
• Warns of democratic, economic challenges.
• Pledges focus on reform, security, unity.

Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio was elected the new Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday, June 22, 2025. He succeeds Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a one-year term.

The election took place during the 67th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Abuja, Nigeria, the organization’s headquarters.

"I accept this responsibility with full awareness of the magnitude of the task ahead and the complexity of the moment," the Sierra Leonean leader said in his inaugural speech. "The West Africa we lead today is facing serious challenges — some long-standing, others new and evolving."

"The democratic space is under strain in parts of our region. In some countries, the constitutional order has been disrupted. Yet, across West Africa, citizens—especially our youth—are demanding not just elections, but also accountability, transparency, and a fair stake in national life," he added, calling for stronger regional unity.

On the economic front, he noted that West Africa continues to struggle with global inflation, food insecurity, energy constraints, and debt vulnerabilities.

Bio's Priorities

During his term, the new ECOWAS chair plans to focus on four strategic priorities: restoring constitutional order and strengthening democracy; revitalizing regional security cooperation; accelerating economic integration; and enhancing institutional credibility. He emphasized the need to redefine ECOWAS’s mandate not as a distant institution, but as a people-centered vehicle for peace, inclusion, and opportunity.

Julius Maada Wonie Bio was first elected President of Sierra Leone in March 2018 and re-elected in June 2023. His first term was marked by rising living costs and education reforms. He becomes the second Sierra Leonean head of state to assume ECOWAS’s presidency, following President Siaka Stevens.

Founded in 1975, ECOWAS is a regional body for integration, solidarity, and cohesion. However, its unity has been tested in recent years by the withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, which formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).

ECOWAS’s Vision 2050 is anchored in peace and security, good governance, deeper regional integration, and sustainable human development. It aims to build a more resilient, inclusive, and prosperous West Africa, where regional economic and monetary integration becomes a reality through the adoption of the single currency, the ECO.