French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto on Monday unveiled fresh partnerships in arts, sports, and technology, while urging stronger collaboration between Africa and Europe to drive innovation and economic growth.
The two leaders spoke during the opening of the Africa Forward Summit held at the University of Nairobi on Monday, where they engaged with young innovators, athletes, and leading African creatives.
Speaking at the summit, Macron stressed the importance of Africa and Europe building independent technological capacity instead of relying heavily on innovations from the United States and China.
According to the French leader, deeper cooperation between the two continents could strengthen economic resilience and create a more competitive global technology ecosystem.
“I think we have a common fight, a common battle together of investment, which is to build our strategic autonomy for Europe and Africa, and if we build it together, we will be much stronger,” Macron said.
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Ruto, on his part, highlighted Africa’s growing youthful population as a major advantage in the global digital economy, noting that the continent possesses the talent and entrepreneurial drive needed to lead future technological transformation.
He said Africa already has an improving internet infrastructure and a vibrant generation of innovators capable of driving economic progress through technology and digital enterprise.
“We have young people with the right skills,” Ruto told participants at the summit.
“We have the right infrastructure in terms of internet connectivity, and we have a very enterprising and entrepreneurial population. So in my opinion, this is the space in which we are operating and I think every other country should be able to think in that direction because the future is about technology,” he added.
The summit also featured interactions between the two presidents and top African artists and sports personalities as part of efforts to deepen cultural and creative exchanges between France and African nations.
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.