By Edu Abade
Barring any unforeseen developments, no fewer than 4,000 African and French delegates will be attending this year’s edition of the Africa Forward Summit (AFS) scheduled for Nairobi, Kenyan from Sunday, May 10, 2026 to Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
The Africa Forward Summit will bring together Heads of State, senior government officials, business leaders, innovators, development partners, civil society and the media to engage in high-level dialogue on Africa’s economic transformation, strategic partnerships and sustainable development.
The conference, which comes with the theme: Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth, is targeted at redefining co-operation between Africa and France through practical, action-oriented partnerships capable of driving investments, innovation and sustainable development, especially on the African continent with all its untapped human natural resources.
To be hosted jointly by the President of Kenya, William Ruto and hid his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, the summit will address multiple topics on rural development, including mobilizing private capital, strengthening partnerships in sustainable agriculture, developing the region’s Marine and Blue Economy, as well as other infrastructure development and socio-political issues.
The 2026 Summit will also focus on strengthening Africa’s global partnerships, expanding trade and investment opportunities, and accelerating innovation across key sectors across the continent.
Ahead of the Summit, its organizers, the Africa Forward Summit Secretariat, held a media roundtable to provide African journalists from across the continent and beyond with a comprehensive preview of the confab’s agenda, priorities and expected outcomes.
During the roundtable, they offered a detailed breakdown of the Summit’s thematic focus areas, addressed key issues and questions, as well as provided insights into the partnerships and opportunities expected to emerge from the conference.
The conveners equally explained that the discussions will include opportunities in the blue economy, agriculture, global health and emerging prospects in artificial intelligence.
The meeting, which will end on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 with the Nairobi Declaration, a landmark commitment adopted by Kenya and France, would prioritize cooperation between Africa and France for what both countries termed ‘shared prosperity’.
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