By Meshack M. Ngangi, MPRSK | 24th November 2025

The International Cooperative Alliance–Africa (ICA-Africa) announced the appointment of its new Regional Board Members on 15th October 2025, following elections held during the 18th Regional Assembly. The announcement marked the beginning of a new four-year leadership cycle, bringing together a diverse and experienced team tasked with advancing the Alliance’s vision of strengthening cooperative enterprises as engines of inclusive socio-economic development across the continent.

The Board comprised six members, including designated Women’s and Youth Representatives, reflecting ICA-Africa’s commitment to inclusivity and balanced representation. The elected members were High Chief Ayeola Tajudeen Oriyomi of Nigeria, Mr. Macloud Malonza of Kenya, Mr. Mesfin Gebreslassie Gereger of Ethiopia, Mr. Thapelo Obateng of Botswana, Ms. Nelisiwe Prudence Mbatha Moerane of South Africa (the Women’s Representative), and Mr. Ronald Nyamukuwa of Zimbabwe (the Youth Representative). Collectively, their leadership, expertise, and regional perspectives are expected to guide ICA-Africa in promoting cooperative growth, resilience, and sustainability throughout Africa.

High Chief Ayeola Tajudeen Oriyomi brought to the Board over 26 years of distinguished service in the cooperative movement at national, continental, and international levels. As the President of ICA-Africa, he had provided strategic and visionary leadership in positioning cooperatives as critical drivers of financial inclusion, sustainable livelihoods, and community development. Before he was elected President, he had served as a member-at-large on the ICA-Africa Board and chaired the Audit and Risk Committee, contributing significantly to governance and accountability frameworks.

The Vice President of the Board, Mr. Macloud Malonza, and the Chairman of the Co-operative Alliance of Kenya represent one of Africa’s largest and most dynamic cooperative movements, encompassing over 22,000 cooperative societies and more than 15 million members. A veteran cooperative leader, he had previously served as Vice Chairman of the Alliance’s Board and continued to chair Harambee Sacco Society Limited, one of Africa’s leading savings and credit cooperatives. He also held the position of Chairman of Co-op Holdings Co-operative Society Limited, the majority shareholder of the Co-operative Bank of Kenya, underscoring his extensive experience in cooperative finance and governance.

On 24th November 2025, ICA-Africa officially launched a three-day Induction Training Programme for the newly elected Board, hosted by The Co-operative University of Kenya. The programme was designed to strengthen collective leadership and deepen understanding of ICA-Africa’s governance frameworks. Board members engaged in sessions covering governance fundamentals, board roles and accountability, financial oversight, risk management, and sustainability leadership, drawing from global cooperative experiences. The training underscored the importance of aligning global corporate governance standards with cooperative identity principles rooted in democracy, equity, solidarity, and mutual care.

The induction further highlighted the evolving landscape of the cooperative sector, which had expanded beyond its traditional agricultural base into finance, healthcare, transport, tourism, and digital platform cooperatives. This growth, driven by market changes and technological advancement, underscored the need for modern, responsive governance systems that preserved cooperative identity while meeting global standards. Discussions also addressed contemporary governance debates, including board tenure and term limits, emphasizing that democratic election alone did not always equate to best governance practice.

Strong governance was reaffirmed as the foundation of sustainable cooperative success, shaping ethical leadership, transparent decision-making, and effective resource management. The role of the Board was recognized as central to organizational oversight, with inadequate capacity often leading to institutional failure. Against this backdrop, the cooperative movement’s longstanding public trust and its role in delivering inclusive development agendas across Africa placed a heightened responsibility on cooperative leaders to uphold the highest standards of governance.

Speaking at this event, Prof. Kamau Ngamau, the Vice Chancellor of The Co-operative University of Kenya, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to championing good governance through training, research, and stakeholder engagement. Through its consultancy and training arms, the University had consistently supported boards and management teams across the sector, while also leading by example through continuous governance training and performance evaluation. Its partnership with ICA-Africa in building Board-level capacity was positioned as a strategic step toward strengthening cooperative leadership across the continent.

High Chief Ayeola underscored that ICA-Africa has embarked on this new chapter with the appointment of the Regional Board Members, and the successful induction programme signaled a clear commitment to bold, forward-thinking leadership. With cooperatives increasingly recognized as major economic actors rather than peripheral institutions, the expectations placed on cooperative leaders had never been greater. Under the stewardship of the newly elected Board, ICA-Africa was poised to champion cooperative transformation, grounded in strong governance, cooperative values, and a shared vision for Africa’s inclusive and sustainable future.