Alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto<\/a>, some 30 heads of state and between 1,500 and 2,000 French and African business leaders and stakeholders are expected to attend.<\/p>\n Young people, artists and athletes have also been invited.<\/p>\n \n Follow us on WhatsApp<\/a> | LinkedIn<\/a> for the latest headlines<\/p>\n Pascal Confavreux, spokesperson for France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, told RFI the idea was to bring together civil society and investors, as well as political players.<\/p>\n “It’s a hybrid summit, with a politics and business side, where heads of states will meet, but also an open forum,” he said.<\/p>\n On the agenda will be artificial intelligence<\/a> and digital transformation ecosystems, as well as health sector investments and local manufacturing of essential commodities.<\/p>\n There will also be discussions on creative and cultural industries as economic drivers, and sport as an emerging frontier for investment and job creation.<\/p>\n The energy transition, infrastructure development, regional connectivity, agriculture and food systems will also be on the table.<\/p>\n A new formula<\/p>\n “For President Macron, this summit symbolises the policy he has pursued since 2017,” Confavreux told RFI.<\/p>\n “After a difficult period, in which there were no France-Africa summits for several years, during Covid-19 notably, we have changed the old summit formula, [when they were] only between heads of states. Now, we want them to also be between individuals, and not just to address security issues,” he said.<\/p>\n Noting that 7 million French people have connections to Africa<\/a> – from those of African descent to those married to Africans, or born on the continent – he said Macron wants to show that France has moved on from its colonial past and is looking to the future.<\/p>\n “He has already initiated reforms, such as the restitution of looted artworks and the reform of the CFA franc. He does not see himself as the inheritor of a negative past, but wants to embody a new generation with many shared interests, particularly concerning youth, culture and the diaspora,” he said.<\/p>\n France leaves climate change off G7 environment summit agenda to placate US<\/a><\/p>\n For Roland Marchal, a senior research fellow at Sciences Po Paris<\/a> covering Africa, the significance of the summit remains to be seen, depending on whether its promises on investment and climate justice materialise.<\/p>\n ‘The simple fact that the conference will pay attention to these issues is positive in itself,” he told RFI.<\/p>\n “And Macron may rhetorically commit some money for new climate initiatives, [but] this will be heard with some scepticism, as African leaders know very well that France is facing its own internal issues.”<\/p>\n He added that Ruto has been a strong advocate for new environmental policies, and that as such, the choice of Kenya to host the summit could add credibility to Macron’s promises.<\/p>\n Kenyan showcase<\/p>\n For Kenyan authorities, Africa Forward is a showcase.<\/p>\n Dr. Abraham Korir SingOei, principal secretary of state in the country’s Department for Foreign Affairs, said: “France is looking for a new relationship with Africa, one that is grounded in mutual respect, shared opportunity, and practical outcomes.”<\/p>\n He added: “We must consciously move away from pre-written narratives that have historically defined this relationship. The Africa Forward Summit is about breaking these barriers and focusing on solutions.”<\/p>\n France currently ranks as Kenya’s fourth largest foreign direct investment partner, as well as the leading bilateral partner in the country’s energy sector.<\/p>\n Arnaud Suquet, French ambassador to Kenya and Somalia<\/a>, said: “More than 140 French enterprises operate in Kenya. In the past decade, France has invested an estimated \u20ac1.8 billion in Kenya in the sectors of employability and sustainability for a better future.”<\/p>\n Macron seeks to reset France’s Africa policy amid shrinking influence<\/a><\/p>\n Pledges vs action<\/p>\n “It’s always good to have conferences move around and test what the audience wants,” infrastructure investment expert Bowale Odumade<\/a> told RFI.<\/p>\n “[Nairobi] is a central hub for transport and logistics. It has a booming financial industry as well as a technology start-up environment,” she said.<\/p>\n “And recently, the [Kenyan] government has really started to implement quite a few initiatives relevant to this sort of summit in terms of capitalising private sector investments, with more investment within various key sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure – and really also harnessing the human capital, resources that Africa has a significant footprint in.”<\/p>\n Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters<\/p>\n Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox<\/p>\n Success!<\/p>\n Almost finished…<\/p>\n We need to confirm your email address.<\/p>\n To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you.<\/p>\n Error!<\/p>\n There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later.<\/p>\n However, Ignatius Juma, a Kenyan independent policy advisor, told RFI that he will be following the Africa Forward summit<\/a> closely, watching for concrete engagement – particularly around climate resilience and justice.<\/p>\n “It arrives at a consequential moment, when the gap between what African countries need on climate adaptation finance and what has been delivered is widening, not narrowing,” he said. “Summits like this one are increasingly being judged on whether they close that gap or add to a long list of pledges.”<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/france\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/aa-logo-rgba-no-text-128x128.png\"\/){kind=logo}
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