COMESA participates in the Africa Forward Summit to strengthen the African-French partnership
The summit will discuss strengthening economic integration and expanding investments.
Written by: Mohammed Omran
The Common Market for East and South participated AfricaCOMESA, along with some of its affiliated institutions, participated in the “Africa Forward” summit held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, from May 11 to 12, 2026. The COMESA Secretariat was represented by Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Qadah, Assistant Secretary-General for Programs.
COMESA actively participated in the summit, which was co-hosted by COMESA Chairman William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron.
As a representative of the regional bloc, Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Qadah participated in high-level discussion sessions aimed at promoting regional integration and economic transformation across Africa.
The summit will discuss strengthening economic integration and expanding investments.
The summit brought together heads of state and government, representatives of the African Union, the United Nations, international and regional organizations, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, investors, the private sector, civil society, youth, and other stakeholders.
The summit focused heavily on building a financial framework capable of achieving self-sufficiency.
Two prominent COMESA institutions, the Trade and Development Bank and the African Trade and Investment Guarantee Corporation, were at the forefront of the discussions.
The two institutions are expected to play a pivotal role in the newly proposed new financial and development architecture for Africa.
In a strong vote reflecting confidence in the African financial architecture, France announced its intention to invest in the capital of the ATIDI Foundation, with the aim of supporting the reduction of risks related to strategic public and private investments across the continent.
The summit also pointed to a clear shift away from traditional reliance on aid, towards equitable partnerships that achieve mutual benefit, and focus on value creation, infrastructure development, and manufacturing, all of which are key priorities within COMESA’s regional integration agenda.
In his speech, Kenyan President William Ruto stressed that: “Africa cannot trade effectively with itself while its economies remain disconnected from each other. Connectivity is not just about infrastructure, it is about competitiveness, regional value chains, food security, manufacturing, and ultimately, shared prosperity.”.
On the sidelines of the summit, Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Qadah witnessed the signing of a tripartite agreement between the COMESA Zip Re/ACRE Foundation, the French Development Agency, and the Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation, to launch a €2.2 million technical assistance initiative aimed at reducing credit risks and expanding access to finance for small farmers in a number of COMESA member states, with the goal of mobilizing up to $1 billion in agricultural financing over the next three years.
Grameen Credit Agricole also pledged to inject an additional 1.7 million euros in the form of shares into ACRE.
