ECOWAS leaders meet in Abuja amid regional tensions and leadership transition

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) convened on Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Nigeria's capital, Abuja. Regional heads of state gathered to evaluate the bloc's current state, which continues to grapple with internal instability following a wave of military coups in several member countries.

ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray is scheduled to present an update on the status of negotiations regarding the formal withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. This move would reshape the bloc's political and economic landscape.

The summit comes as Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu prepares to step down from his role as ECOWAS chairman, a position he assumed in Bissau in 2023. Tinubu's tenure has been marked by ambitious rhetoric but mixed results. While he adopted a strong anti-coup stance and called for deeper regional integration, his efforts fell short. His push for military intervention against the Niger junta was ultimately abandoned, and his broader goals to revitalize the bloc remain unfulfilled.

In a last-minute diplomatic gesture, Tinubu convened a subregional economic meeting on Saturday, inviting Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. These three military-led countries have severed ties with ECOWAS. However, the junta-led nations declined to attend, underscoring the deepening rift between them and the organization.

Sunday's summit is expected to name Tinubu's successor as ECOWAS chair. Leading contenders include Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Ghana's former President John Dramani Mahama. A longstanding but unofficial tradition of rotating leadership among Anglophone, Francophone, and Lusophone countries will likely influence the final decision.

Whoever takes the helm will inherit a troubled organization facing a critical juncture. Beyond internal reforms, the new leader will navigate strained relations with the breakaway Sahelian nations and manage their formal exit from the bloc.