Nairobi: Equity Group Holdings Managing Director and CEO, Dr. James Mwangi, has emphasized the importance of the 2026 Africa Forward Summit in strengthening partnerships between African and European businesses, particularly French companies, to unlock Africa’s economic potential and improve livelihoods. Speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, Mwangi highlighted the summit’s focus on investment, innovation, and sustainable development.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mwangi noted that France is broadening its engagement beyond Francophone countries to partner with the entire African continent. He emphasized the opportunity for Africa to articulate its priorities and influence global policy directions amidst changing global economic dynamics.
Mwangi addressed concerns about historical injustices, urging African leaders and businesses to focus on present and future opportunities. He highlighted the challenge of job creation, pointing out that 15 million young Africans graduate annually, but only three million jobs are created each year. He described Africa’s youthful population as a digitally native generation capable of driving innovation and technological transformation.
He called for a shift from exporting raw materials to processing products locally to create wealth and jobs. Mwangi cited a partnership between Kenyan producers and a French company that transformed Kenyan tea exports into a branded premium product. He praised the Kenyan government for showcasing Kenyan tea during a state dinner attended by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Mwangi stressed the need for significant investment in infrastructure, including energy, transport, cloud computing, and data centers, to unlock Africa’s industrial and digital opportunities. He urged governments to prioritize digital infrastructure to support innovation among young entrepreneurs, emphasizing that the broader vision of industrialization, digital transformation, and value addition was central to the Africa Forward Summit.
