President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has formally handed over the ECOWAS chairmanship to Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio at the 67th summit held in Abuja on June 22. Tinubu, who led the regional bloc since July 2023, navigated ECOWAS through a period marked by political unrest and military coups. President Bio steps in as ECOWAS faces major challenges, including military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger — now aligned with the Alliance of Sahel States — and rising insecurity across the Sahel. In his acceptance speech, Bio vowed to focus on restoring democracy, enhancing regional security, boosting economic integration, and reforming ECOWAS institutions to rebuild trust and unity.
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