French President Emmanuel Macron has described Africa as the world’s youngest and fastest-growing continent, stressing the need for increased investment to strengthen its sovereignty.
Macron made the remarks at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, which ran from May 11 to 12 under the theme: “Africa Forward: Partnerships between Africa and France for Innovation and Growth”.
The summit, co-organised by the governments of France and Kenya, brought together more than 2,000 African and European business leaders, investors, and policymakers.
The business forum highlighted Franco-African economic partnerships and showcased private sector-driven projects and innovations.
Macron said the summit opened with listening to African youths share their dreams, ambitions, and innovations. He affirmed that France is ready to make smart investments that benefit African youth while strengthening bilateral ties.
He noted that Africa and Europe face common challenges in technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), payment systems, cultural and creative industries, and global narratives. Both continents, he added, remain overly dependent on the United States and China for solutions and innovation.
“There is a divide between entrepreneurs and consumers, and the solutions are designed in America or China. When we talk about AI, many of us today are merely consumers,” he said.
“We share the same battle when it comes to investment and building strategic autonomy for Europe and Africa. If we work together, we will be much stronger.”
Macron called for joint investments in infrastructure and energy to drive development and expand electrification across Africa.
“If we want to build infrastructure, we must invest together. No infrastructure is possible without energy. We must build renewable and nuclear infrastructure to expand electrification for homes and businesses,” he said.
He also emphasised talent development, urging both continents to create opportunities that retain skilled youth.
“A few years ago, French AI talents were working in Silicon Valley. Now they are returning because we are becoming leaders in AI in Europe. The challenge is the same in Africa,” Macron said.
He announced that Orange, a leading French telecom company, would establish 50 digital centres to train one million young Africans by 2030. He also highlighted the Digital Africa initiative aimed at connecting digital ecosystems across the continent.
The summit featured discussions on youth empowerment, job creation in sports, culture, and creative industries.
Proparco, the French Development Agency’s private sector financing arm, reaffirmed its commitment to Africa, revealing it had committed over 4.6 billion euros to African projects between 2022 and 2025. More than 500 million euros worth of new deals were signed during the forum.
