Kigali, Rwanda, May 4, 2026. Almost ten years after French President Emmanuel Macron’s Ouagadougou speech, which laid the foundations for renewed relations between France and African countries, the Republic of Kenya and the French Republic will co-host the inaugural Africa Forward Summit (AFS) 2026 in Nairobi on May 11 - 12. The Summit will be held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) and the University of Nairobi. This historic event marks the first time such a high-level summit is held in an English-speaking African nation, will reflect the profound transformation in its ties with African countries which France undertook almost 10 years ago, based on acknowledgement of the past and a will to build balanced, forward-looking partnerships. It also signals a decisive shift away from historical silos toward a unified, continental approach to growth. The Summit comes at a pivotal turning point globally. From the climate crisis to the rapid frontier of technology, today’s modern challenges demand a strategic reset. For decades, narratives about Africa have been pre-written by others, often emphasising on risk, fragmentation, and conflict. Simultaneously, the relationship with France has often been viewed through the lens of a donor-recipient dynamic. The Africa Forward Summit seeks to disrupt these binaries. It moves past the ‘Francophone vs. Anglophone’ divide to engage with Africa as a single, dynamic market of 1.5 billion people. This is not a meeting to “declare” a relationship, but to build one on the ground, led by the innovators, entrepreneurs, and young creatives who are the true digital natives of the continent. The AFS 2026 is designed as an implementation-focused platform, prioritising bankable investments over traditional diplomatic communique. 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. It will illustrate the rich diversity of relations between Africa and France and is expected to convene Heads of State and Government, senior public officials, business leaders, civil society representatives, young people, artists, the diaspora and members of the international media, with special emphasis on young people and the private sector. Specifically, Rwanda’s President H.E Paul Kagame will co-chair a roundtable on artificial intelligence, a fast-growing sector in which the country is currently one the leading actors on the African continent. Internationally renowned artists, including Sherrie Silver, are also expected to participate in a panel dedicated to the challenges of the African cultural and creative industries. All delegates and journalists intending to participate in the Summit are required to register through the official online portal available at: https://africaforwardsummit.com/attend. Media practitioners should submit their applications under the “Media Accreditation” section within the same portal. For more information, visit: www.africaforwardsummit.go.ke or join the conversation on social media via: #AfricaForwardSummit and #AfricaFrance2026
