Nigeria, Aug. 23 -- With seven heads of state in attendance, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday, 22 June, held its 67th summit of the Authority of the Heads of State and Government, ushering in a new leadership.

After serving two tenures as leader of the ECOWAS Authority, Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu handed over to President Julius Bio of Sierra Leone.

In the last five years, since 2020, the bloc has faced persistent challenges and questioning of its legitimacy, especially with some member states experiencing military coups in what some have referred to as the dying of democracy in the region. Although 2020 saw the beginning of a consistent trend, 2023 marked a significant shift when the military in Nige...