Kwara State Governor and Nigeria Governors' Forum Chairman AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has been elected President of the Forum of African Regions, pledging to strengthen decentralized governance and accelerate continental integration across Africa.
The election took place Monday in Tangier, Morocco, on the sidelines of the United Cities and Local Governments World Congress, where AbdulRazaq was chosen alongside four regional vice presidents representing Central, North, East and Southern Africa.
The regional vice presidents elected alongside AbdulRazaq are Ousmanou Oumarou of the Association of Regions of Cameroon for Central Africa; Mbarka Bouaida of the Association of Regions of Morocco for North Africa; Peter Anyang' Nyong'o of Kisumu County, Kenya, for East Africa; and Panyaza Lesufi of Gauteng Province, South Africa, for Southern Africa.
FORAF described the new leadership as a signal of renewed commitment to amplifying the voice of African regions and deepening decentralized cooperation across the continent.
The Forum of African Regions serves as a continental platform for subnational governments, states, provinces and regions to coordinate on socioeconomic development, decentralization and sustainable growth.
Its mandate positions regional governments as active drivers of Africa's integration agenda, complementing the work of national governments and continental bodies such as the African Union.
In an address at the Congress, AbdulRazaq called on African nations and subnational governments to deepen cooperation and invest in the infrastructure needed to overcome the geographic and economic barriers that have historically limited integration.
"It has often been observed that geography has constrained economic integration in parts of Africa.
However, history has also shown that visionary leadership, strategic investment, and regional cooperation can overcome geographical barriers," he said.
He pointed to global examples of nations that have used transport corridors, canals and connectivity infrastructure to link people, markets and opportunities and argued Africa has the capacity to do the same.
"Tangier and Cape Town should not merely be seen as distant points on a map, but as anchors of a connected African future," AbdulRazaq said. "This vision is achievable if we act collectively and embrace the spirit of cooperation that this Congress represents."
AbdulRazaq's election places a Nigerian governor at the helm of a pan-African regional governance body at a moment when debates around decentralization, infrastructure investment and inclusive growth are central to Africa's development agenda. As NGF chairman, he already coordinates policy positions among Nigeria's 36 state governors a role that gives him both domestic influence and continental visibility.
FORAF said the incoming leadership is poised to strengthen the role of subnational governments as partners in delivering on Africa's long-term development goals.
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