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The 39th Session of the ECOWAS Administration and Finance Committee (AFC) officially opened on Sunday at the Bintumani International Conference Centre in Freetown, beginning a series of statutory meetings leading up to the 2026 ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit.
Delegates from the twelve member states gathered to deliberate on administrative, financial and institutional matters affecting the regional bloc.
Committee Chairman Komba Momoh welcomed participants and acknowledged the role of Sierra Leone’s President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, who serves as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
“I warmly welcome you all to Sierra Leone for the 39th Session of the Administration and Finance Committee,” Momoh said. “I extend my sincere appreciation to His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio for his outstanding leadership as Chairman of ECOWAS. I encourage all delegates to participate actively so that our deliberations will be productive and yield meaningful outcomes for the benefit of our Community.”
Momoh described the committee as central to ensuring governance, financial accountability, institutional efficiency and resource management within ECOWAS. He urged delegates to address administrative and financial challenges to strengthen the Community’s capacity to deliver on its mandate.
He also thanked the government and people of Sierra Leone for their hospitality and expressed hope that the session would produce practical recommendations to guide the ECOWAS Council of Ministers and the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
ECOWAS Commission Vice President Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, speaking on behalf of the Commission, reaffirmed the body’s commitment to regional integration through financial management, institutional reforms and collective action.
She called on member states to strengthen cooperation in addressing regional challenges including peace and security, climate change, youth unemployment and institutional resilience, stressing that partnerships remain essential to achieving the objectives of the ECOWAS Vision.
The 39th session is the first in a series of high-level meetings culminating in the Mid-Year Summit, where member states will consider policy recommendations and adopt decisions on regional integration, economic cooperation, peace, security and sustainable development.
As host of this year’s meetings, Sierra Leone is receiving hundreds of delegates, ministers, experts and development partners for the week-long engagements, reinforcing its role in regional diplomacy under President Bio’s chairmanship.
