President Hichilema pushes for stronger partnerships as Africa–France summit opens in Nairobi

President Hakainde Hichilema has reaffirmed Zambia's commitment to building international partnerships that drive innovation, economic growth and development for its citizens, as the Africa Forward Africa–France Partnership for Innovation and Growth Summit gets underway in Nairobi.

Speaking after a dinner hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto on the eve of the summit, President Hichilema said African leaders remained united in deepening partnerships that connect nations across geographical boundaries and unlock opportunities for economic transformation.

He said Zambia intended to use the summit to secure tangible benefits for the country and its people through stronger cooperation and investment partnerships, and thanked French President Emmanuel Macron and President Ruto for their hospitality.

The summit has brought together African and French leaders to discuss investment, innovation and strategic partnerships aimed at accelerating growth across the continent.

President Hichilema is today expected to attend the plenary working lunch on the reform of the international financial architecture, where he will deliver remarks on scaling multilateral guarantees for national development priorities. The session is expected to focus on how multilateral institutions can better mobilise capital for emerging economies and de-risk investment in critical infrastructure, energy and industrial projects.