…Ends two-year tenure amid regional security crises
…Bio pledges to harness W’Africa’s potential through integration
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally handed over the chairmanship of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, drawing his two-year tenure as leader of the regional bloc to a close.
The transition was confirmed on Sunday by Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy.
“Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio is the new chairman of ECOWAS. He succeeds President Bola Tinubu, who chaired the regional economic bloc for the past two years,” the statement read.
Tinubu’s tenure was marked by considerable regional turbulence, including a series of military coups, growing insecurity, and economic strain across several ECOWAS member states.
As part of his final engagements as ECOWAS Chair, President Tinubu hosted the maiden edition of the West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) in Abuja. The event was held ahead of the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, which took place on Sunday at the State House Conference Centre.
The two-day summit, convened at the newly inaugurated Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, focused on advancing regional economic integration. Onanuga noted that the gathering sought to “enhance trade and investment cooperation across the subregion.”
The summit attracted an array of high-level delegates, including the presidents of Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, The Gambia, Benin, Togo, and Guinea-Bissau. Also present were regional ministers and representatives from institutions such as the West African Monetary Agency (WAMA), West African Monetary Institute (WAMI), ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat.
According to the statement, the summit is expected to produce “concrete outcomes and deliverables” to accelerate West Africa’s integration, considered essential for fostering regional peace, security, and prosperity.
In a gesture aimed at rebuilding fractured ties, President Tinubu extended invitations to countries beyond ECOWAS, including members of the Alliance of Sahel States, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, as well as Mauritania. These invitations came despite strained diplomatic relations following the alliance’s earlier withdrawal from ECOWAS.
The statement added that President Tinubu dispatched a team of Special Envoys, including Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, to deliver personal invitations to regional leaders.
In his acceptance remarks, President Julius Maada Bio commended President Tinubu’s leadership and called for greater regional economic integration to harness the potential of West Africa’s young population and abundant natural resources.
“As leaders navigating global economic challenges, we must act decisively to accelerate integration programmes essential for sustainable growth and shared prosperity,” Bio stated.
He underscored the importance of coordinated regional responses to pressing issues such as debt burdens, climate change, food insecurity, and international market volatility, calling for unified governance and strategic collaboration.
