Tinubu Advocates Stronger African Economic Integration at Africa Forward Summit in Kenya
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday led Nigeria’s delegation to the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, where he called for stronger African economic integration, fairer global financial systems, and deeper regional cooperation to accelerate the continent’s development.
The summit, jointly hosted by William Ruto and Emmanuel Macron at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, brought together leaders and senior officials from more than 30 countries.
Opening remarks were delivered by President Ruto, President Macron, António Guterres, and Mahamoud Ali Youssouf.
On the sidelines of the summit, President Tinubu held bilateral discussions with Madagascar’s President, Michael Randrianirina, and also met with Confederation of African Football President, Patrice Motsepe, where he expressed Nigeria’s readiness to host the 2026 CAF Awards.
During his address, Tinubu highlighted Nigeria’s blue economy potential as a key driver of Africa’s future growth, stressing the importance of maritime security, regional cooperation, and ocean governance.
The President announced Nigeria’s readiness to share its Deep Blue maritime intelligence infrastructure with willing Gulf of Guinea states to improve coordinated maritime security operations across the region.
According to him, secure waterways, predictable regulation, and effective legal systems are essential for attracting private investment into Africa’s maritime and logistics sectors.
“Maritime sovereignty does not repel investment — it attracts it,” Tinubu stated, adding that Africa must move from “sea blindness to ocean sovereignty.”
On global financial reforms, Tinubu criticized existing international financial structures, arguing that they continue to limit Africa’s industrial growth through expensive borrowing costs and unequal economic arrangements.
He said Africa’s industrialisation efforts remain constrained by high debt servicing obligations, limited access to affordable capital, and global systems that favour developed economies.
The President noted that Nigeria had undertaken major economic reforms, including fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, banking recapitalisation, and financial system reforms aimed at restoring investor confidence.
Despite these reforms, he said Nigeria still faces financing pressures, disclosing that the country is projected to spend about $11.6 billion on debt servicing in 2026.
Tinubu maintained that Nigeria is not seeking charity but demanding a fairer international financial system that allows African nations to industrialise, process their natural resources locally, and compete globally.
Addressing migration challenges, the President stressed the need to tackle root causes such as unemployment, insecurity, and poverty through investments in infrastructure, agriculture, climate adaptation, digital skills, and enterprise development.
He called on development partners to dedicate part of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to programmes that reduce desperation and irregular migration across Africa.
Tinubu also urged African nations to strengthen continental cooperation on migration governance, while supporting broader African Union frameworks for safe and orderly migration management.
Nigeria’s delegation to the summit included Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; and Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, among others.
Prominent Nigerian business leaders at the summit included Aliko Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Tony Elumelu, and Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.
The summit featured discussions on industrialisation, trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), artificial intelligence, digital transformation, healthcare, climate change, agriculture, infrastructure, and youth-driven economic growth across Africa.
Tinubu Advocates Stronger African Economic Integration at Africa Forward Summit in Kenya