France and Kenya will jointly host the Africa Forward Summit: Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth in Nairobi on 11 and 12 May 2026. The two-day event will bring together the President of the French Republic, the President of the Republic of Kenya, and other African heads of state and government for what organisers describe as a milestone in relations between France and the African continent.
A Historic First for Anglophone Africa
The Africa Forward Summit marks the first time such a high-level France-Africa gathering will be hosted and co-chaired with an English-speaking country — a significant symbolic shift nearly a decade after the French president's landmark 2017 speech in Ouagadougou. Organisers say the choice of Nairobi reflects a commitment to building balanced, mutually beneficial partnerships rooted in real economic complementarities rather than historical dependency or geopolitical bloc logic.
Programme and Key Themes
The summit is structured across two thematic days. May 11, themed Inspire and Connect, will open with a Business Forum spotlighting France-Africa economic partnerships and private sector initiatives from both continents. Special sessions dedicated to youth, sports, and the cultural and creative industries will also feature prominently, with an emphasis on job creation and social cohesion. May 12 will shift focus to development finance and global governance, with discussions centred on youth employment, sovereignty, digital competitiveness, energy access, food sovereignty, health system strengthening, and connectivity. Peace and security — particularly in support of African Union mediation efforts — will also be on the agenda.
Concert, Culture and the Road to the G7
Media and entertainment group TRACE will organise the summit's closing concert on 12 May at the Kasarani Indoor Arena in Nairobi, bringing together leading artists from across the continent and the African diaspora to celebrate cultural diversity and highlight Nairobi's growing stature as one of Africa's most dynamic cultural capitals. The Africa Forward Summit builds on a series of high-level multilateral engagements including the 2021 Summit on the Financing of African Economies in Paris, the 2023 New Global Financing Pact, the 2023 Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, and the EU-AU Summit held in Luanda in November 2025. Conclusions from the Nairobi gathering are expected to feed directly into preparations for the G7 Summit, which France will host in Evian from 15 to 17 June 2026.
