Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has been elected President of the Forum of African Regions.
His election took place on Monday in Tangier, Morocco, on the sidelines of the UCLG World Congress, alongside the emergence of four regional vice presidents representing Central, North, East and Southern Africa.
FORAF said the new leadership would drive renewed governance aimed at amplifying the voice of African regions and strengthening decentralised cooperation across the continent.
In his acceptance remarks, AbdulRazaq called for stronger collaboration among African countries and subnational governments to promote sustainable development and economic growth.
He noted that while geography has historically limited integration in parts of Africa, strategic investments and regional cooperation could overcome such barriers.
“Africa has the capacity to do the same. By working together, investing in connectivity, and strengthening partnerships among our cities and regions, we can create sustainable linkages that support trade, innovation and inclusive growth,” he said.
The governor emphasised the need to improve infrastructure and connectivity across the continent, adding that closer cooperation among regions would unlock economic opportunities and deepen integration.
The Forum said AbdulRazaq would be supported by regional vice presidents from Cameroon, Morocco, Kenya and South Africa as it pursues its mandate to accelerate socio-economic development, deepen decentralisation and position subnational governments as key drivers of Africa’s growth.
