Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has been elected Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, succeeding Sierra Leone’s Julius Maada Bio at the bloc’s 69th Ordinary Session in Freetown on Sunday.
Bio had taken over the rotating chairmanship from Nigeria’s President Tinubu in June 2025. Nigeria was represented at this summit by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
In a separate leadership change, Biram Diop was appointed the new President of the ECOWAS Commission, replacing Dr Omar Touray, for the 2026–2030 term.
Faye, one of Africa’s youngest heads of state, takes over ECOWAS at a difficult moment for the bloc, which continues grappling with insecurity, democratic setbacks, and the continued withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. He is expected to prioritise rebuilding trust with the three breakaway nations while advancing the bloc’s reform agenda on governance and accountability.
Reacting on X, Faye said: “It is with humility that I welcome the trust placed in our country, called to the presiding presidency of ECOWAS.”
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