West African leaders elected Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio as the new ECOWAS chair during Sunday’s summit.
The meeting, held in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, comes as the region grapples with growing instability and sluggish trade.
Bio succeeds Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu in the rotating leadership of the Economic Community of West African States.
The summit unfolded against a backdrop of surging jihadist violence across the Sahel and Lake Chad regions.
Militant groups are exploiting strained ties between member states to expand their reach and intensify attacks.
Recent weeks have seen bloody jihadist raids in Mali and deadly incursions into major cities in Burkina Faso.
Niger’s military has also suffered significant losses, with armed groups mounting coordinated assaults on its forces.
Meanwhile, summit host Nigeria is contending with a sharp rise in attacks on villages and military outposts.
Outgoing chair Tinubu acknowledged the gravity of the moment in his address to fellow leaders.
He cited “security threats, violent extremism, and other cross-border trends” as pressing challenges for the bloc.
“These stark and consistent challenges continue to impede our aspirations,” Tinubu warned, urging unity and resolve.
The gathering underscored the daunting task ahead for ECOWAS as it seeks to restore stability and foster cooperation.
President Bio now assumes leadership at a critical juncture, with the region’s future hanging in the balance.