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Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, the Pioneer President of the Forum of Regions of Africa, former Governor of Ekiti State, Nigeria and former Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, has expressed high hopes with good wishes to the organisers of the recently concluded 30th Executive Committee Meeting and the 27th Pan African Council Meeting of the United Cities and Local Government of Africa (UCLGA).

Speaking to a selected group of journalists at Ikeja, Lagos State, during the UCLGA meeting, Dr. Fayemi noted that strengthening the regional economic communities of Africa, as a prerequisite for building bridges and blocks continental integration, was a key value proposition well structured and aimed at addressing concerns of geographical, political, economic and social heterogeneity of the continent of Africa.

He said that such will deliberately provide acceleration for another shift of sovereignty.

He expressed happiness and confidence in the organization whose bias for critical stakeholder inclusion, according to him is a one-shop-stop deal for African development aimed at pivoting from talk to action.

Fayemi stated that as one of the stakeholders, it has become imperative to continuously identify with programmes, policies and institutions that are passionate about regional development that will directly affect the national and sub-national structures for growth.

He went further to list several gains amongst which are, inter/intra-African trade, protecting the member countries from external shocks, and incentivising production to grow the regional economy.

He said that part of the good outcome will also include the Continental Free Trade Agreement (cFTA) and cutting the red tape for policies that are standards and best practices that are targeted at long-term growth, in an atmosphere of better GDP, good exchange rate, easier access to the countries of the continent whether by air, sea, rail or road across Africa for huge development.