Nicolas Forissier, France’s minister delegate for foreign trade and economic attractiveness, says France is eager to build a win-win partnership with Africa to secure a more reliable future for younger and unborn generations.

Mr Forissier spoke on the sidelines of the 2026 Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.

Mr Forissier described the summit as a success, saying attendance surpassed expectations. 

According to him, organisers projected attendance of 3,000 to 4,000, but over 7,000 people attended the business forum alone, including African and French chief executives.

He said the summit was attended by high-level individuals and many companies, offering great opportunities to make business contacts.

The minister said that France remained  committed to collaborating with African youth to build a sustainable legacy for future generations.

On the sidelines of the summit, the president of Dangote Industries, Aliko Dangote, said that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery was undergoing expansion from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million barrels per day by 2028.

He said times were currently difficult for African farmers to afford all the necessary farm inputs, adding that most governments were heavily indebted and could no longer afford to keep subsidising farm inputs.

He called for a diplomatic resolution between Iran and the United States, noting that the ongoing tensions were having severe economic consequences globally.

The summit was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, Kenyan President William Ruto, African heads of state and government, chief executive officers, and captains of industry.

A €23 billion investment package aimed at reshaping France-Africa economic relations was announced during the two-day summit.

(NAN)