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West African leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to deeper regional integration by adopting a series of landmark agreements and making key leadership appointments during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held in Lungi, Sierra Leone.
The summit, which also featured a high-level dialogue on the Future of Regional Integration in West Africa, culminated in the election of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye as the new Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority. He succeeds President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, who chaired the regional bloc over the past year.
In a major decision, the Authority appointed General Birame Diop of Senegal as the next President of the ECOWAS Commission. He will assume office on September 1, 2026, after the expiration of the four-year tenure of the current Commission President, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray of The Gambia.
The Heads of State also signed the Declaration of Commitment to the Compact for the Future of Regional Integration in West Africa, reaffirming their resolve to strengthen cooperation and accelerate the region's integration agenda.
They further endorsed the Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) Project, a strategic initiative aimed at boosting regional energy connectivity, and adopted the Presidential Declaration on Advancing Gender Parity in Political Representation in ECOWAS Member States as one of the bloc's 50th anniversary legacy initiatives.
During the summit, the Authority reviewed several key reports, including the 2026 Interim Report on the State of the Community, the Report of the 56th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council at the Ministerial Level, and the Report of the 96th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, alongside other matters relating to governance, peace, security and regional development.
Before the commencement of the summit, the Heads of State officially commissioned the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Lungi, which served as the venue for the regional gathering.
The summit highlighted ECOWAS' continued efforts to strengthen regional unity, democratic governance, economic cooperation and inclusive development as the Community charts its future beyond its 50th anniversary.