By Davida Spaine-Solomon
Freetown, 17th May, 2026 —President Julius Maada Bio has called for bold and resilient leadership across Africa, urging governments to strengthen institutions, deepen democratic governance and accelerate reforms to withstand growing global disruptions.
Delivering the presidential keynote address under the theme: “Anchoring Africa: Grounded, Game-Changing Leadership in the Age of Disruption,” President Bio challenged African governments to move beyond rhetoric and focus on sustainable governance and institutional resilience.
Addressing scholars, policymakers, students and members of the African diaspora at the University of Oxford on 17th May, President Bio said Africa’s challenges are interconnected and require coordinated responses.
Turning to Africa’s rapidly growing youth population, President Bio described demography as one of the continent’s defining challenges and opportunities, cautioning that political and economic systems must adapt to meet the expectations of young people.
“Africa is the world’s youngest continent. If politics does not adapt to demographic reality, frustration will outrun reform,” he said.
President Bio further called for stronger African participation in global artificial intelligence governance, warning that the continent risks becoming a passive consumer of technologies designed elsewhere.
“We need a pan-African AI governance framework,” he said, urging African governments and institutions to shape emerging technologies in ways that reflect African interests and realities.
Bio also noted that Africa’s future would depend on its ability to build durable systems capable of surviving political instability, economic shocks, climate change and rapid technological transformation.
President Bio stressed the need for African states to treat economic resilience, constitutional order, climate adaptation, youth empowerment and regional security as shared priorities.
Speaking in his dual capacity as President of Sierra Leone and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, Bio reflected on Sierra Leone’s recovery from civil war, the Ebola outbreak, economic challenges and climate-related pressures.
He highlighted his government flagship initiatives, such as the Free Quality Education Programme and the Feed Salone agricultural initiative, describing them as practical efforts to expand educational access and strengthen food security, noting that though they are not perfect, but meaningful as they show that when policy is sustained and aligned with national priorities, progress becomes tangible.
On regional stability, President Bio warned that the resurgence of coups and unconstitutional changes of government in West Africa reflected deeper governance failures and declining public trust in democratic systems.
“Democracy goes far beyond elections,” he stated. “To be meaningful, democracy must work in substance.”
The ECOWAS Chairman also underscored the importance of regional cooperation, warning that insecurity in one country can quickly spread across borders through armed conflict, migration and economic disruption.
On climate change, Bio described the crisis as “one of the greatest injustices of our time,” noting that although Africa contributes the least to global emissions, it continues to suffer disproportionately from climate impacts.
He called for equitable global climate financing while urging African nations to continue investing in resilience and adaptation measures.
President Bio encouraged young Africans and members of the diaspora to remain connected to the continent and contribute to its development.
“The diaspora is not outside Africa’s story. The diaspora is one of Africa’s most powerful assets,” he said, reaffirming that Africa is already shaping its own future but stressed that sustained progress would require courageous reforms, institutional strength and steady leadership.
