H.E. Julius Maada Bio is the 5th President of Sierra Leone. Re-elected in June 2023 with over 56% of the vote, his second term prioritizes food security as a flagship agenda. He has expanded education access to over one million learners through the Free Quality School Education Programme and made gains in energy, healthcare, water supply, and anti-corruption efforts. His governance reforms include the repeal of seditious libel laws, abolition of the death penalty, and enactment of key gender and child protection legislation. In June 2025, he became Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, focusing on democracy, security, economic integration, and institutional trust. Globally, he co-chaired the 2022 UN Transforming Education Summit and led Sierra Leone’s successful bid for a UN Security Council seat (2024–2025), which he presided over in August 2024. He is the AU Coordinator for UN Security Council Reform and under his leadership, Sierra Leone holds seats on the AU Peace and Security Council (2024–2026) and ECOSOC (2026–2028). President Bio has received numerous international awards, including “African of the Year” and the U.S. Foreign Policy Medal.