By Claudia Redwood-Sawyerr
Sierra Leone will host the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on 19 July 2026, with President Julius Maada Bio expected to welcome and chair the regional summit in Freetown.
The announcement was made by the Press Secretary, Yusuf Keketoma Sandi, during the Ministry of Information and Civic Education press conference today 7th July 2026, where he described the event as a major milestone for Sierra Leone and a demonstration of the country’s growing capacity to host high-level international engagements.
“Today, I am pleased to officially announce that His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio will host the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Sierra Leone,” Sandi stated.
He noted that the summit will be preceded by a series of preparatory meetings involving technical experts, ministers, and regional officials from ECOWAS member states. According to him, the 39th Meeting of the Administration and Finance Committee will take place from 12th to 14th July, followed by the 56th Ordinary Session of the Mediation and Security Council at the ministerial level on 15 July. A Joint Meeting of the Mediation and Security Council will also be held the same day to discuss the Compact for the Future and other regional matters.
From 16th to 17th July, the 96th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers will be convened and chaired by Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba. All preparatory meetings are scheduled to take place at the Bintumani International Conference Centre.
Sandi further disclosed that on 18th July, President Bio will officially commission the Julius Maada Bio International Conference Centre in Lungi, a major national infrastructure project developed in preparation for the summit. The President will also commission the ECOWAS Logistics Depot, which he described as another strategic regional facility.
He emphasized that the event goes beyond the Presidency and represents a national achievement for Sierra Leone.
“This event is not simply about President Bio. It is about Sierra Leone. It demonstrates that our country possesses the capability, the capacity, the skilled professionals, the technical expertise, and the leadership required to successfully organise a summit of this magnitude,” he said.
The summit is expected to bring together Heads of State and Government from across the ECOWAS region to deliberate on key political, economic, and security issues affecting West Africa.
