Nairobi: His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has arrived in Nairobi ahead of the Africa Forward Summit, scheduled for 11-12 May 2026. The high-level summit is jointly hosted by President William Samoei Ruto of Kenya and President Emmanuel Macron of France. It brings together African leaders, global policymakers, investors, development partners, and international financial institutions to discuss trade, investment, climate change, sustainable finance, the blue economy, digital transformation, public health, green industrialisation, and youth empowerment.

According to Sierra Leone News Agency, more than 1,500 participants, including Heads of State, ministers, business leaders, civil society actors, and multilateral institutions, are expected to attend. The summit aims to strengthen Africa-France cooperation and advance sustainable development across the continent.

For Sierra Leone and other African countries, the event offers a chance to deepen diplomatic and economic partnerships, mobilise private sector investment, strengthen agricultural cooperation, and attract new socio-economic opportunities amid evolving global geopolitical dynamics.

On the summit's margins, President Bio is expected to hold bilateral engagements focused on deepening multilateral cooperation and investment opportunities.

Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, President Bio was received by Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Sierra Leone's High Commissioner to Kenya Lt. Gen. (Rtd.) Peter K. Lavahun, and senior officials from Kenya's Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.