Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi adopts declaration recasting France-Africa partnership

The Africa Forward Summit convened in Nairobi (KICC) on May 11-12, 2026, bringing together African leaders and representatives of the French Republic, and concluded with adoption of the Africa Forward 'Nairobi Declaration' described as a shared roadmap for action. Per The Standard, the 11-point declaration spanned peace and security (including renewed calls for UN Security Council reform to ensure fair African representation, citing the African Union's Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration), agriculture (agro-industrialization, fertilizer supply chains, climate-smart farming and research partnerships with French institutions), health (Universal Health Coverage, pandemic preparedness, regional vaccine and medicine production), energy and green industrialization (renewables, geothermal and nuclear power), digital transformation (infrastructure and AU-aligned, responsible AI), and financial reform (greater African voice at the IMF and improved concessional financing).

A central theme was economic sovereignty over natural resources, including critical minerals, with commitments to local beneficiation and value addition rather than raw-material export. Coverage tied the summit to a reset of France-Africa economic relations, with Kenyan President William Ruto hosting and French participation anchoring the partnership track.

The gathering doubled as a development-diplomacy waypoint ahead of France's G7 presidency year.