President Hichilema Champions Investment and African-Led Growth at Africa Forward Summit

President Hakainde Hichilema today took part in the inaugural Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, held under the theme Africa–France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth, using the platform to call on global investors to seize the opportunities created by Zambia's wide-ranging reforms.

The President pointed to the energy sector as a flagship example, where reforms have opened the door to fresh investment in power generation and transmission. He stressed the need for a major interconnector linking southern Africa to North Africa, describing energy as the backbone of sustainable economic growth across the continent.

President Hichilema made a strong case for Africa taking ownership of its own development. With Official Development Assistance in decline, he urged African governments to be more innovative in mobilising domestic resources to fund roads, energy projects, logistical corridors, and above all, education. Investing in young people, he said, is essential to building a generation equipped with the skills to drive innovation and entrepreneurship.

Speaking at a plenary session on reforming the international financial architecture, the President highlighted the high cost of capital facing African nations and called for more affordable, accessible financing. He also encouraged French investors to partner with Africa on the energy transition and green industrialisation, stressing that investment must deliver a win-win for both sides.

On the margins of the Summit, President Hichilema held a bilateral meeting with H.E. President William Samoei Ruto of Kenya, where the two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest and reaffirmed the warm ties between Zambia and Kenya, rooted in the legacy of founding Presidents Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

The President has now concluded his engagements in Kenya and returned to Zambia.