President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria officially handed over the chairmanship of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio during the 67th Ordinary Summit of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Abuja on Sunday, June 22.
The transition marks the end of Tinubu’s one-year tenure, during which he navigated regional challenges like coup threats and economic integration.
Tinubu, addressing the summit, highlighted ECOWAS’s progress in trade liberalization, with intra-regional trade rising from 10% to 12% in 2024, per ECOWAS Commission data. He urged member states to sustain the AfCFTA’s momentum and address security concerns, citing 5,000 terrorism-related deaths in the Sahel in 2024, per the African Union. Bio, assuming the chairmanship, pledged to prioritize youth employment and climate resilience, noting Sierra Leone’s 60% youth unemployment rate and vulnerability to floods.
The summit adopted a $2.3 billion budget for 2026, with 40% allocated to peacekeeping in Mali and Burkina Faso, per Vanguard. Bio’s leadership faces tests, including reintegrating junta-led states like Niger, which suspended ECOWAS ties post-2023 coup. Tinubu’s tenure saw diplomatic strains, notably Nigeria’s border closures with Niger, but also successes like the $500 million ECOWAS renewable energy fund. Regional leaders, including Senegal’s Bassirou Faye, commended Tinubu’s stewardship, urging Bio to deepen integration.