AWE Media Sierra Leone

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson Following his election today in Nigeria as Chairperson of the Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has laid out four key priorities for his leadership of the West African bloc. At the top of his agenda is restoring constitutional order and strengthening democracy across the region. This comes amid growing calls from citizens in ECOWAS member states for urgent action to bring back three countries namely: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger which recently withdrew from the bloc following military coups. President Bio’s predecessor, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, remains hopeful that ongoing diplomatic efforts will eventually lead to their return. In his final remarks as ECOWAS Chair, Tinubu expressed confidence that "before too long, their former member states may return to the ECOWAS family." President Bio's second major focus is on reviving regional and security cooperation. He acknowledged the impor...