President Bola Tinubu has been re-elected as the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

His re-election took place on Tuesday during the 65th ordinary session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at the presidential villa in Abuja.

Tinubu was initially elected as chairman in July 2023 during the 63rd ordinary session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. He is the eighth Nigerian leader to hold this position, succeeding former President Muhammadu Buhari, who served twice—once as a military leader and later as a democratic president.

Founded in 1975, ECOWAS comprises member states including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

However, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger withdrew from ECOWAS in February 2024, forming a new coalition known as the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). These nations, governed by military juntas, left the bloc following various coups.

ECOWAS had imposed sanctions such as border closures and halting electric power exports to Niger to counter these coups. The sanctions were lifted in February, shortly before the three countries exited the regional bloc.

Before his reelection, Tinubu addressed ECOWAS members, emphasizing the need for political will to eradicate terrorism. “As we move to operationalize the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) in combating terrorism, I must emphasize that the success of this plan requires not only strong political will but also substantial financial resources,” Tinubu said.

“We must, therefore, ensure that we meet the expectations and recommendations set forth by our ministers of defense and finance in order to counter the insecurity and stabilize our region. Member states must make extra commitments to providing resources for stabilizing the region.”