Photo caption: President Bola Tinubu officially handing over the chairmanship of the ECOWAS to President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone. Credit: State House
President Bola Tinubu, on Sunday, ended his tenure as the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States Authorities of Heads of State and Government.
Following the development, the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Bio, emerged as his successor.
Tinubu announced this at the 67th Ordinary Session of the Authority at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
He said, “It has been a profound honour and privilege to lead this esteemed body, and I remain deeply humbled by the trust and support you have extended to me throughout my channel as I now hand over the mantle of leadership to my great friend and dear brother, His Excellency, President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone.
“I do so with a deep sense of fulfilment and of commitment for the future of West Africa.”
Before handing over, Tinubu expressed concern over the slow pace of activating the ECOWAS Standby Force and urged West African leaders to move swiftly from concept to reality in the collective fight against terrorism and transnational crimes.
“I am a little bit worried about the slow pace of its (ECOWAS Standby Force) activation, which is taking longer than desired,” the President said in his opening speech.
In April 2024, Tinubu first called for the creation of a regional standby force and a counter-terrorism centre to degrade the activities of terrorists in Africa’s most troubled spots.
He said the counter-terrorism centre would be a hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination and capacity building throughout Africa.
The Nigerian leader cited ransom-taking and illegal mining as “evil branches” nourished by “root causes” such as poverty, inequality and social injustice, which finance, re-equip and re-supply terrorist networks all over the continent.
“Key to our collective efforts against terrorism is the urgent need for a fully operational Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre,” Tinubu told heads of state and senior government officials at the African High-level Meeting on Counter-Terrorism in Abuja on April 22, 2024.
At the sixth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of the African Union in Ghana two months later, he said ECOWAS was exploring other funding options for its $2.6bn Standby Force.
In August of that year, he affirmed the commitment of member states to invest in the force, describing the initiative as the solution to terrorism in the Sahel.
One year later, however, Tinubu, who gave an account of his two-year chairmanship of the block since July 2023, expressed dissatisfaction at the pace of the initiative as security concerns in the Sahel continued to grow.
He stressed the urgency of operationalising the force in the face of escalating insecurity across the sub-region.
“The ECOWAS Standby Force must move from concept to operational reality. I am a little bit worried about the slow pace of its activation, which is taking longer than desired,” the President said.
He noted that threats confronting the region were transnational, driven by agile and dangerous networks that respected nobody’s border.
“No single nation can, therefore, address these challenges alone. We must strengthen coordination, amplify political will, and prioritise a collective approach to secure it,” he added.
Tinubu highlighted major milestones during his leadership of the regional bloc.
He said the completed ECOWAS Military Logistics Depot in Lungi, Sierra Leone, would play a critical role in providing equipment and other logistics to forces deployed by ECOWAS.
“Last February in Addis Ababa, Nigeria signed the Sixth Agreement with the African Union. With the depot’s completion, Nigeria is committing itself to sea-lift and air-lift arrangements with ECOWAS,” he said.
Tinubu expressed the hope that ongoing diplomatic engagements with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger would eventually lead to their return to the community.
“Under my chairmanship, I deployed all diplomatic means to engage and dialogue with our brothers in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. I am confident that before too long, they may return to the family,” he said.
The Nigerian leader called for deeper economic cooperation, empowering the private sector, and removing trade barriers to unlock West Africa’s potential.
“Our intra-regional trade remains low, even as we possess the potential to be an economic powerhouse. We must create the enabling environment, empower the private sector, and create the conditions necessary for innovation to flourish,” he said.
He urged the speedy implementation of key regional infrastructure projects, including the West African Gas Pipeline, West African Power Pool, and Abidjan–Lagos Corridor Highway, as catalysts for development and integration.
Speaking after the handover, President Bio commended Tinubu for laying a solid foundation of regional dialogue, economic recovery, and peacebuilding.’
“I am humbled to build upon the strong foundation you have established,” he said, thanking President Tinubu for his “experience and leadership.”
Acknowledging the complexities of the current moment, the Sierra Leonean leader noted that West Africa stood at a crossroads, grappling with terrorism, illicit arms flow, political instability, and transnational crime, particularly in the Sahel and coastal states.
“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 said.
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