This week, Spotlight on Africa takes you to the Africa Forward summit hosted by France and Kenya in Nairobi on 11 and 12 May. It marks the first time France has staged such an event in an English-speaking African country, and comes at a moment of change and challenges.
Joining Kenyan President William Ruto at the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron is accompanied by some 30 heads of state, as well as between 1,500 and 2,000 French and African business leaders and stakeholders. Young people, artists and athletes are also among those invited. Entitled Africa Forward: Partnerships between Africa and France for Innovation and Growth, according to the Élysée its aim is to forge closer ties with East African economies in the wake of a series of diplomatic crises across the Sahel. France to host African summit in Kenya, in bid to ‘diversify alliances' Also on the agenda are discussions on creative and cultural industries as economic drivers, and sport as an emerging frontier for investment and job creation. The energy transition, infrastructure development, regional connectivity and agriculture and food systems are also on the agenda.
Over 1,500 participants have registered for the first Africa Forward summit in Nairobi, opened on 11 May 2026. © RFI/Melissa Chemam
