How decentralization is awakening Africa

Rachid El Abdi

President of ORU Fogar

The 11th edition of our Regional Best Practice Awards has marked a historic turning point. Having received 79 nominations from around the world, we are pleased to see that two African regions - the Conseil Départemental de Koungheul (Senegal) and the Conseil Régional du Centre-Ouest (Burkina Faso) - have been recognized as among the best global initiatives.

This success is no accident; it is tangible proof that the African continent is undergoing an irreversible process of decentralization. In Senegal and Burkina Faso, we are seeing regions not only manage competencies, but innovate in solving structural problems. This success has extraordinary merit. In previous editions, I called for the mobilization of African regions, aware of their enormous potential. There has been a tremendous amount of outreach to accompany these administrations in their presentation, and the results confirm that regional talent in Africa knows no bounds. What makes this feat even more remarkable is that these regions have competed against proposals, for example, from European territories that have substantially larger competences and economic and technical resources.

Since ORU Fogar, we have long insisted that Africa’s development necessarily requires the strength of its intermediate governments. Decentralization is not an administrative luxury; it is the only viable way to ensure effective management of basic public services. These awards are a loudspeaker: the work done has been vital in breaking glass roofs and demonstrating that African regional talent not only competes at the highest level, but also sets the tone for what it means to govern for citizens. Africa is no longer the future of decentralization; it is its most vibrant present.

Of course, we celebrate the excellence of all our prizewinners: the resilience of the region of Lviv (Ukraine), which leads our palmarés under conditions of war; the work of proximity for access to justice of the State of Mexico; and the commitment to the cultural industries of Pichincha Prefecture (Ecuador). They are all referents, but Africa’s leading role in this edition sends a clear message to the world.