From May 11 to 13, 2026, the Africa Forward Summit will be held in Kenya, marking the opening of a new framework for strategic dialogue between Africa and France.
Several African leaders are expected to attend, including Presidents Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Mamadi Doumbouya, Mohamed Ould Cheikh El-Ghazouani, Bola Tinubu, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, and Ismail Oumar Guelleh, as well as William Ruto and Emmanuel Macron.
This major meeting will bring together several heads of state, representatives of international financial institutions, and key players in the economic world in Nairobi to discuss the main challenges facing the African continent.
The Franco-Kenyan duo will co-chair the summit, “Africa Forward: Partnerships between Africa and France for Innovation and Growth.”
After a visit to Egypt, Emmanuel Macron will be received this Sunday by President William Ruto, his Kenyan counterpart.
Investments, climate, security, creative industries, and renewable energy are at the heart of the discussions
On Sunday, Kenyan President William Ruto hosted his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
They will co-chair the “Africa Forward” summit at a time when France’s ties with West Africa are more strained than ever. The French president is leading the charge and turning to the continent’s Anglophone countries to forge new partnerships.
A number of African heads of state, including Bola Tinubu (Nigeria), Bassirou Diomaye Faye (Senegal), Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Mamadi Doumbouya of Guinea, Faustin-Archange Touadéra (Central African Republic), and around 100 business leaders have travelled to the Kenyan capital. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will also be in attendance.
This historic visit by French President Emmanuel Macron underscores France’s ambition to further establish its economy in Anglophone African countries, where China’s presence in strategic sectors of the Kenyan economy has outmaneuvered it. French investments in East Africa doubled between 2015 and 2020.
At the heart of the discussions will be issues related to development financing, peace and security challenges, and the economic and political sovereignty of African states.
Participants will also consider ways to strengthen international partnerships in a global context marked by profound economic and geopolitical changes.
Through this initiative, Africa intends to make an ambitious and demanding voice, affirming its willingness to defend its strategic priorities and promote cooperation based on mutual respect and shared interests.
The Africa Forward Summit aims to become a platform for reflection and action that supports the continent’s transformations and strengthens relations between Africa and its international partners.
