President Bola Tinubu has been elected as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the regional bloc comprising heads of state and government. During the 63rd Ordinary Session held in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, President Tinubu assumed the position, succeeding outgoing chairman President Umaro Embaló of Guinea-Bissau.

Expressing his commitment to democracy, President Tinubu emphasized the significance of this form of government, stating, “We will take democracy seriously. Democracy is a challenging but essential system of governance.”

He received the handover documents from President Embaló as a symbol of assuming his new role.

The ECOWAS chairmanship is a rotating position held by the leaders of member countries for a one-year tenure. President Tinubu now joins 15 other leaders at the ECOWAS meeting in Guinea-Bissau. Notably, former President Buhari held the position from 2018 to 2019.

Although the chairman does not possess executive powers, the role holds strategic importance in conflict resolution, advocacy, and acting as a liaison with the President of the ECOWAS Commission. The ECOWAS Commission is responsible for managing and implementing the organization’s policies and decisions on a day-to-day basis.