Paris‑based President Emmanuel Macron used the opening of the “Africa Forward: Africa‑France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth” summit in Nairobi on Monday to call for a shift from aid to private investment in Africa. Speaking to an audience of university students and business leaders at the University of Nairobi, the French head of state said the continent “needs investment to become more sovereign,” and that Europe must replace traditional development assistance with genuine economic opportunities.
Macron told the crowd that Europe’s former practice of lecturing African leaders about what they needed was “no longer what Africa wants to hear.” He added, candidly, that “we, too, no longer have the means” to continue the old model of aid. In interviews with Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report ahead of the two‑day summit, he reiterated that France had condemned colonialism from the start of his presidency in 2017, but warned that the decades following independence also bear responsibility for many of today’s challenges. He urged African governments to improve governance and manage resources more transparently.
While acknowledging criticism directed at former colonial powers such as France and the United Kingdom, Macron argued that Europe is not “the predator of this century.” He positioned the European Union as a defender of the international order, multilateralism, rule of law and open trade, contrasting this with what he described as a “trade standoff” between the United States and China, in which “rules are not respected.” On the issue of critical minerals, he accused China of pursuing a “predatory logic,” processing raw materials at home and creating dependencies for the rest of the world.
The summit, which brought together French officials—including Foreign Affairs Minister Jean‑Noël Barrot—and Kenyan President William Ruto, sought to revive France’s engagement with the continent after a period of strained relations. Macron highlighted a proposed overhaul of international finance that would establish financial guarantees to attract private capital into African projects, especially in the sectors of renewable energy and nuclear power. Photographs from the event showed Macron and Ruto signing bilateral agreements at Kenya’s State House.
In a separate segment of his remarks, Macron addressed France’s military withdrawals from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger following coups between 2020 and 2023. He said the decision to leave was a “logical response” to the loss of a host‑government invitation, not a humiliation. He expressed confidence that the Sahel would eventually return to “normal governance” under democratically elected leaders who genuinely serve their populations.
The summit concluded with a call for a “strategy of autonomy” for both Europe and Africa—an approach that seeks to reduce dependence on external powers while fostering mutually beneficial partnerships. Observers note that the event marks a notable shift in French policy, aiming to align European investment with African priorities and to position the continent as a partner rather than a recipient of aid.
