Africa Forward Summit 2026 Mobilizes €23B and Creates 250,000 Jobs
The Africa Forward Summit 2026 (#AFS2026) took place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 11 to 12 May 2026. It represents a rebranding of the Africa-France Summit by moving away from the bad connotation associated with Francafrique, when France used to support despotic regimes as long as they were protecting France’s interests, more often than not at the expense of their own country.
The previous edition took place in Montpellier in 2021; it saw very few heads of state or government and focused on youth and civil society. This edition is the first time the Summit is held in an anglophone country, as France attempts to extend its influence in Africa, after suffering setbacks in certain Sahel states, whose leaders were remarkably absent.
This edition also saw record participation as the number of registrations exceeded the 7,000-mark. Previous editions would usually attract between 2,000 and 3,000 attendees. In addition, more than 30 heads of state or governments attended in person. From an attendance perspective, #AFS2026 was a resounding success.
For starters, France’s President Emmanuel Macron announced that the Summit has mobilized for Africa EUR 23 billion in investment, which will support 250,000 jobs in Africa and France. The figure includes EUR 9 billion of intra-Africa investments, and EUR 14 billion coming from France’s public and private funds.
To support France’s commitment to an ‘equal-to-equal relationship’ with Africa, Macron underscored the new law that will facilitate the restitution of looted cultural artefacts to Africa. However, the question of reparations for slavery was not discussed to the distress of certain Africans.
Moving past France’s colonial past, Macron criticized China for its predatory logic. China extracts raw materials from Africa, performs the value addition in China, before exporting the finished goods to Africa. This model cannot continue and is unsustainable, and France would be willing to carry out more local beneficiation in Africa.
Kenya’s President William Ruto expressed appreciation for France’s its new model of partnership with Africa. In addition, he thanked Macron for championing the reform of the International Financial Architecture so that Africa can access financing at reasonable rates. Macron promised to raise the issue at the upcoming G7 Summit in Evian, France.
In front of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guttierez, Ruto reiterated Africa’s demand for a permanent presence on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). He underlined that the composition of the #UNSC no longer represents the reality on the ground in the world today.
As far as flagship projects are concerned, CMA CGM will upgrade Kenya’s seaports, while Alstom will extend the Nairobi Commuter Rail Network. In view of the Middle East conflict and resulting energy crisis, Aliko Dangote proposed to build the regional oil refinery for East Africa in Mombasa, after Tanzania displayed some hesitation. The refinery would mirror the one in Lagos with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (bpd), and its cost is estimated to be in the range of USD 15 to 20 billion.