African and French leaders have adopted the Africa Forward Summit 2026 Declaration, outlining expanded commitments on agricultural transformation, food security and resilient healthcare systems as both sides seek to deepen cooperation on sustainable development, industrialisation and economic resilience across the continent.
The declaration, adopted during the summit in Nairobi, sets out a renewed Africa-France partnership framework focused on innovation, climate resilience, infrastructure development and inclusive economic growth at a time when African economies are facing mounting pressure from food insecurity, climate shocks, public debt burdens and healthcare financing gaps.
A major focus of the agreement centres on transforming African agriculture from a largely commodity-export-oriented sector into a driver of industrialisation and domestic value creation. Leaders committed to strengthening agricultural value chains through investments in agro-processing, cold storage systems, logistics infrastructure and expanded trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The declaration frames agricultural reform as central to broader efforts to improve economic sovereignty and reduce dependence on raw commodity exports, which continue to expose many African economies to volatile global pricing cycles and external market disruptions.
According to summit participants, expanding agro-industrial capacity and improving regional trade integration could help African countries retain more value within domestic economies while supporting employment creation across manufacturing, transport and food processing industries.
The agreement also places strong emphasis on improving access to finance, digital technologies and business support systems for women, youth and smallholder farmers, groups that remain central to African food production but often face structural barriers to land ownership, credit access and market participation.
Leaders committed to supporting precision agriculture technologies, agri-fintech innovation, business incubation programmes and skills development initiatives aimed at improving productivity and strengthening rural livelihoods. The declaration also calls for reforms to land tenure systems and greater investment in competitive agricultural value chains and agro-industrial parks through public-private partnerships.
The renewed focus on food systems comes as African governments continue to grapple with rising food import costs, supply chain disruptions and worsening climate-related agricultural losses. Several African countries have experienced prolonged droughts, floods and erratic weather conditions in recent years, increasing pressure on food prices, rural incomes and fiscal stability.
The declaration further commits participating countries to strengthening climate-resilient agricultural systems capable of responding to environmental, geopolitical and economic disruptions. Leaders also endorsed implementation of the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan 2024–2034 through expanded technical cooperation and capacity-building measures.
Beyond agriculture, the summit declaration places healthcare resilience at the centre of broader human security and development priorities. African and French leaders committed to accelerating Universal Health Coverage through stronger primary healthcare systems, expanded access to health services and measures aimed at reducing financial hardship linked to medical care.
The agreement reflects growing recognition among African policymakers that weak healthcare systems continue to pose significant economic as well as social risks. Public health emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic, exposed structural vulnerabilities in health financing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and disease surveillance systems across much of the continent.
Under the declaration, leaders committed to improving pandemic preparedness through expanded disease surveillance systems, laboratory and genomic capacity and implementation of the One Health framework, which integrates human, animal and environmental health approaches.
The agreement also links healthcare resilience more directly to climate policy, with participants committing to integrate health priorities into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). Climate-related health risks, including heat stress, vector-borne diseases and food insecurity, are increasingly shaping public health planning across African economies.
A further priority identified in the declaration is regional pharmaceutical manufacturing. African and French lead
ers agreed to support accelerated production of vaccines, medicines, diagnostics and medical technologies through partnerships aligned with frameworks developed by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the African Medicines Agency and the AfCFTA.
The push for regional manufacturing reflects broader efforts by African governments to reduce dependence on imported medical products after global supply chain disruptions during the pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in access to vaccines and essential medicines.
The Africa Forward Summit brought together Heads of State, policymakers, investors and development institutions at a time when African governments are increasingly seeking partnerships that combine climate resilience, industrial development and social infrastructure investment. The declaration signals an attempt to position agriculture, healthcare and regional trade integration as interconnected pillars of long-term economic stability and development across the continent.
