By Rachel Kakraba
More than 30 African heads of state and government will gather in Nairobi, Kenya, from May 11 to 12, 2026, as Kenya and France jointly host the Africa Forward Summit.
Dubbed Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth, the initiative forms part of a renewed partnership between France and Africa.
The summit is a milestone in relations between France and the African continent, nearly ten years after French President Emmanuel Macron’s speech in Ouagadougou, committing to deepening France-Africa relations. The summit is the first of its kind to be hosted and co-chaired with Anglophone Africa, reflecting robust and balanced Africa-France partnerships.
Jérémie Robert, the Africa Advisor (“Conseiller Afrique”) to President Emmanuel Macron, said this when he addressed selected journalists across Africa, during a live broadcast briefing on the Summit from the French Presidency, the Élysée Palace, on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. The session also featured an interactive question-and-answer segment, during which participating journalists received direct responses to their queries.
Mr. Robert indicated that similar summits have been held since the 1970s largely in Francophone Africa, making the summit co-hosted by Kenya a landmark event.
“France actually created this kind of summit in the 70s. After that, there have been many summits, but mostly in Francophone Africa, and it’s the first time that it’s being held in Anglophone Africa.”
The Africa Forward Summit, he said, will illustrate the rich and dynamic relations between the African continent and France through the diversity of participants, which include States, business leaders, young people, artists, civil societies and diasporas.
“It will be an opportunity to highlight the commitment of France, Kenya and other African countries to stepping up mutual investment and to building and financing tangible solutions to common challenges, including health system strengthening, food sovereignty, digital competitiveness, energy access and connectivity”
Providing highlights of activities during the two-day summit, Mr. Robert, said the first day will mostly be a business forum which will feature speeches by economic leaders both from Africa and France to create a platform that inspires and connects.
He said it will particularly present an opportunity for young and female entrepreneurs to connect with industry players.
“There will be voices from more young entrepreneurs, female entrepreneurs, middle-sized companies, big groups and big CEOs, both from Africa and France, our objective is to inspire and to connect.
He said French President Emmanuel Macron who will be participating in the summit will announce economic deals reached during the summit to propel development.
“President Emmanuel Macron himself will participate in a different segment of the first day, the business forum. He will be concluding the forum with the overall announcement of all the economic deals that will be made”
Africa Forward: Creation in Motion
Mr. Robert, said the summit will feature cultural and creative industries high-level events as a follow up to the success of the Creation Africa forums. He said the session will focus on cultural and creative industries as a field of economic opportunities and as a driver for promoting the continent’s new imaginaries and narratives.
He said France is not only promoting its culture and the language but for the sector to be seen as an economic tool.
“We have been doing this since mostly 2017, to help entrepreneurs in Africa increase and develop their business, cultural business, in partnership with France”
He said the summit will also have sessions on the dynamics of cultural restitution which France has been championing.
“When an African country is asking for restitution to be made, if it’s proven that a cultural good has been illegally acquired, then we can launch this restitution and our law allows it. After France, other countries such as Belgium, Germany are also following, or even the UK, have followed. This is also something which is very important to us”
Sport for Sustainable Investment
Mr. Robert, said a high-level event on sport will focus on sport as a key pillar of renewed partnership between Africa and France, highlighting the sector as a driver of economic opportunities, favoring an inclusive and sustainable development. He said leading players in the world of French and African sport and sport federations will be at the event.
“Sports as a business tool for inclusion and development, France has invested a lot in sports, in organizing sports events. Recently, with the Olympics, games in 2024, there have been so many sports events organized in France”
He said sports, athletics, basketball and football demonstrations will be held as part of the conference.
Presidential forums
Dr. Robert, said the second day of the summit will largely focus on a Presidents’ Forum aimed at stimulating investment discussions.
“We expect a very good participation of African leaders, probably around 30 African heads of state and governments, from all over Africa, so it’s Francophone, Anglophone, West, Central, Eastern, Southern, Northern Africa will be represented”
Energy transition and green industrialization
He said a plenary session on energy transition and green industrialization, will bring together Heads of State and Government and a coalition of 30 to 40 French and African CEOs, to address particular themes of green industrialization and energy transition.
International financial architecture reforms
Dr. Robert, said a lunch on the reform of international financial architecture, will also be held to address reform of the international financial architecture. This, he said, will enhance the mobilization of private capital both domestic and international for the development of the African continent.
Plenary session on Peace and Security
A plenary session on Peace and Security will be devoted to peace and security issues in support of African mediation and the actions of the African Union.
Roundtable on healthA roundtable discussion on health is expected to be co-chaired by Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama and Prime Minister of Morocco, Aziz Akhannouch
Conclusion
The Africa Forward Summit will identify solutions to shared challenges facing France and African countries. It will also provide an opportunity to amplify the voices of young leaders in shaping the future of the African continent.
