2026 France‑Africa Forward Summit: Discussing Emmanuel Macron’s New Intellectual Initiative

By Bola A. Akinterinwa

In the past, Francophone Africa was viewed as a private sphere of French influence in global politics. This perception stemmed from France’s pursuit of “Grandeur de la France” (Greatness of France), its desire to maintain a global presence, and its need to address Cold War challenges. To achieve these aims, France cultivated a special relationship with Francophone Africa, a concept known as FrançAfrique.

The term FrançAfrique first appeared in 1943, when Jean Piot, editor‑in‑chief of the newspaper l’Aurore, described a strategy to unite France and Africa in order to renew and strengthen the French empire. In 1955, President Félix Houphouët‑Boigny reframed the idea to emphasize shared language, economic, and cultural values, presenting it as a positive partnership rather than a form of re‑colonisation. French scholar François Xavier Verschave, however, criticised the concept, describing it as a “shadowy system of corruption, patronage and political interference.”

Despite these criticisms, France could not maintain its status as a great power without involving its former colonies. Consequently, FrançAfrique was rebranded as the Franco‑African Summit, a policy that continued under the guidance of Jacques Foccart. Foccart served as the French President’s African Affairs advisor from 1958 to 1974 and later advised Prime Minister Jacques Chirac between 1986 and 1988. The summits projected a partnership narrative while still preserving French hegemony through various instruments.

Relations between France and several Sahelian states—Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—have deteriorated due to France’s perceived failure to curb jihadism and its support for ECOWAS sanctions against unconstitutional government changes in those countries. This backdrop set the stage for the 2026 France‑Africa Forward Summit.

The 2026 France‑Africa Forward Summit

One notable aspect of the 2026 summit is its name. “France‑Africa Forward Summit” replaces the earlier Franco‑African Summit, a term introduced in 1973 by former President Georges Pompidou. The new title signals an attempt to close the chapter on Franco‑African relations and to establish a fresh framework.

Historically, the Franco‑African Summit included a military intervention pillar, with bilateral accords that helped pro‑France governments remain in power. Operations such as Manta in Chad and Serval in Mali illustrate this pattern.

When the term FrançAfrique became politically contentious, President Houphouët‑Boigny used it to promote closer ties, emphasizing shared language and culture. From 1955 until 1998, the concept was redefined by activist François Xavier Verschave, who condemned it as a covert, corrupt system of neo‑colonialism. This criticism fueled anti‑France sentiment in many African states, prompting Emmanuel Macron to design the 2026 summit differently. Aljazeera reported that “France’s influence in Africa has faded,” a reality Macron acknowledges and seeks to address by building a new foundation for French influence without arrogance.

Macron has cultivated a special relationship with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT), announcing that PBAT would attend the Kenya summit. PBAT indeed flew directly from Paris to Nairobi. Macron has positioned himself as a genuine ally of Africa, stating, “we are not simply here to come and invest on the African continent and alongside you – we need great African business leaders to come and invest in France.” His familiarity with Africa, stemming from his time at the French Embassy in Lagos, has helped him present a more collaborative image. The economist.com described Macron’s approach as “betting on business to shake off its colonial baggage.” During his trip to Kenya from May 10th to May 12th, he also engaged in cultural activities, cooking with a Kenyan influencer, running with long‑distance runner Eliud Kipchoge, and dancing to the South African hit “Jerusalema.”

More than 7,000 participants attended the summit. The agenda mirrored Macron’s 2017 vision of transforming the partnership into one of mutual benefit. According to the official site elysée.fr, the focus was on “promoting mutually beneficial partnerships on an equal footing; forging ties through our youth and our diasporas; encouraging the scaling up of private investment on the African continent to address financing needs (development, climate, etc.), and facing our shared history head‑on, through the unprecedented work undertaken since 2017 on memory and the restitution of cultural property looted during the colonial period.”

The Elysée also announced that €23 billion in investments had been pledged, creating more than 250 direct jobs in France and Africa, with many additional indirect jobs. Of this amount, €14 billion were French investments in Africa and €9 billion were African investments in Africa. The summit builds on earlier efforts, including the 2021 Paris Summit on the Financing of African economies, the 2023 Paris summit for a New Global Financing Pact, and the AU‑EU summits held in Brussels in February 2022 and Luanda in November 2025. It aims to give African voices prominence ahead of the G‑7 Summit in Evian in June 2026.

Macron argued that “the challenges faced in Africa and in Europe are the same” and that “we want peace, prosperity and sovereignty.” He highlighted Europe’s post‑World War II achievements—building the European Union to ensure peace and a common market for prosperity—and its current focus on strategic autonomy to avoid dependence on China or the United States. He questioned whether France’s desire for autonomy should translate into dependence for African nations. Macron emphasized that aid is a relic of the past and that clearer North‑South relations are needed.

Emmanuel Macron’s New Intellection

Understanding Macron’s new approach requires revisiting the pillars of FrançAfrique and the Franco‑African Summit. The original concept rested on five elements: an African Cell involving French leaders and intelligence services; the Franc Zone, which linked most Francophone African currencies to the French franc; cooperation frameworks covering political, economic, military, and