From dialogue to action — reflections from the Africa-France Business Dialogue Pre-Summit, hosted by the Aspen Initiative Africa – Nairobi (May 8, 2026)
🌍 Following the 16th Europe-Africa Conference in Annecy (Fall 2025), hosted by the The Aspen Institute France, this event provided the opportunity to continue the discussions that began there and to deepen the partnership with the Aspen Initiative Nairobi.
A few takeaways worth sharing:
📈 Africa isn’t « uninvestable. » The real question is whether global finance is built to see it clearly. Borrowing costs 2-3x higher than the rest of the world. Risk perceptions are wildly disconnected from reality. $5B are lost every year just moving money within the continent. The opportunity is vast.
🌱 Climate finance exists. The real question is where it lands. Global climate financing ($1.9T) dwarfs AI investment ($211B). Yet Africa — responsible for less than 4% of global emissions while bearing a disproportionate share of climate impacts — receives a fraction of it.
🏢 Does the venture capital model actually fit Africa? Silicon Valley logic may not be the right blueprint for the continent.
With over 60% of Africa’s population under 25, investing in digital skills, AI literacy, and entrepreneurship is no longer a choice. It is a necessity.
🙏 Many thanks to the Aspen Initiative Nairobi for hosting this event.
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Didier Acouetey | Jean-Christophe Bas | Isabelle Bébéar | Jérémie BLIN | Alexandre Boudet | Amine Dabchy | Seynabou DIA SALL | Maïmouna Dramé Dolo | Pierre Fauvet | Marie Christine Kameni | Jean-Rémi Kouchakji | Laila Macharia | Sally Nnamani | Maureen Rosita OJONG EBOB-BESONG MSc. MBA | Pascal Peyrou | Alix Pinel | Bernard Salomé | Siny Samba | Selena Souah
