On June 23, 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria handed over leadership of ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) to President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone during a major meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
At the meeting, Tinubu raised concerns about how slow ECOWAS has been in activating its Standby Force, which is meant to quickly respond to security problems like terrorism and cross-border crime in the region.
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He said these threats ignore national borders and are stopping West Africa from developing properly.
He urged ECOWAS leaders to work faster and more closely together on security.
The ECOWAS Standby Force includes military, police, and civilian members.
It was created to help respond to emergencies in the region, but it hasn’t been fully activated yet, which is worrying as violence grows in some areas.
Tinubu also talked about some of his achievements during his time as ECOWAS Chairman.
He said it’s important to include more women in peacebuilding and development, calling them “powerful agents of change.”
Dr. Omar Touray, head of the ECOWAS Commission, praised Tinubu’s leadership and remembered the vision of ECOWAS’ founding leaders.
Leonardo Santos, a UN representative, also spoke at the event.
He encouraged West African countries to trust each other more and work together to fight terrorism and keep the region peaceful.
The highlight of the event was when President Tinubu officially handed over leadership to President Maada Bio, marking a new chapter for ECOWAS as it continues to push for peace, democracy, and unity in West Africa.