Nairobi, Kenya/ – The second day of the Africa Forward Summit has commenced in Nairobi, marking a significant shift in Africa–France relations towards a more equal and innovative partnership.
Co-chaired by H.E. William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, and H.E. Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic of France, the day brings together Heads of state and government in an unprecedented format and level of participation.
Unlike traditional diplomatic forums, the Africa Forward Summit 2026 is designed as an implementation-focused platform, prioritising bankable investment opportunities, policy reform outcomes and public– private partnerships with actionable commitments and clear delivery pathways.
The morning session will feature two high-level plenary engagements by the Heads of State and Government on Green Industrialisation and Energy Transition, and Peace and Security. The Summit will also feature a working lunch with forty African and French top business leaders, alongside multilateral, regional, national and private financing institutions.
The working lunch will focus on the reform of the international financial architecture. Its objective is to coordinate and identify concrete strategies aimed at strengthening the financing of sustainable growth by mobilising both domestic and international private capital and improving coordination across all levels of the development finance architecture.
The day’s activities will also include four parallel thematic roundtables: blue economy, sustainable agriculture, artificial intelligence and digital technologies, and Resilient health systems. Each of these themes will be addressed in an inclusive format designed to foster dynamic discussions, bringing together policymakers, international organisations, and representatives from the private sector and civil society.
We demand stronger cooperation, renewed multilateralism, and partnerships grounded not on hierarchy, but in sovereign equality, mutual respect, and shared responsibility. It is in that spirit that we convene this summit, grounded in our shared conviction that enduring partnerships must not be built on dependency, but on sovereign equality. Not on aid or charity, but on mutually beneficial investments. And not on extraction or exploitation, but on win-win engagements,” said H.E. President Ruto.
“Today, we have an agenda aimed at addressing Africa’s contemporary challenges. Together with Kenya, we will champion this agenda throughout the year at the United Nations and during the Evian G7. France and Europe will always stand alongside Africa in supporting the continent’s aspirations for peace and prosperity,” said H.E, President Macron.
Hosted forthe firsttime, in non-Francophone Africa,the Summit carries an ambitious message of affirming, strengthening, and accelerating partnership between African countries and France, through an approach based on balance, complementarity, and cross-border investment. It aims to reset the economic ties between African countries and France, particularly in the context of co-creating the future of Africa and France for mutual prosperity and growth of our peoples.
The discussions will build on the momentum set from the Africa Forward Business and Youth Forum held on May 11, which convened over 2,500 business leaders, investors, and young innovators, reinforcing the Summit’s strong integration of youth as well as public and private sector engagement. The message is clear. The youth will be at the centre of Africa’s re-imagined future and constitute the key drivers moving forward.
The Africa Forward Summit marks a deliberate and structural shift in Africa–France relations—from historically shaped engagements to a future-oriented partnership defined by mutual respect, equality, and actionable outcomes. Anchored in the principle of shared responsibility and mutual benefit, the Summit reflects a renewed commitment to reposition Africa not as a recipient of development support, but as a strategic partner and co-architect of global solutions.
The summit aims to conclude with the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration, a ground-breaking framework outlining policy positions, investment commitments, and sector-specific partnerships to drive Africa– France cooperation with a strong emphasis on transparency and accountability.
With Africa’s growing importance in global growth and innovation, the Africa Forward Summit stands as a defining moment in international diplomacy. By convening global and continental leaders in Nairobi, the Summit reinforces Africa’s position as a driver of solutions to global challenges.
