On June 22, 2025, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) held its 67th Ordinary Session in Abuja, Nigeria, where President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria handed over the chairmanship of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government to President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone.
Tinubu, who assumed the role in July 2023, led efforts to address regional challenges like military coups and terrorism. In his speech, he expressed confidence in ECOWAS’s future and urged unity among member states. Bio outlined his priorities: restoring constitutional order, enhancing democracy, strengthening regional security, promoting economic integration, and boosting institutional credibility.
The summit also addressed the formal withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, which left ECOWAS in January 2025 to form the Alliance of Sahel States.