Kenya is set to host a landmark continental summit aimed at unlocking Africa’s domestic capital and accelerating industrial transformation through infrastructure development.
The inaugural ‘Africa We Build Summit’ will take place in Nairobi from April 23 to 24, 2026, bringing together leading infrastructure financiers, fund managers, investors, and policymakers from across the continent.
The Summit being convened by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) in collaboration with the Government under the theme “Infrastructure as the Engine of Industrialisation,” seeks to shift Africa’s development approach from isolated projects to coordinated, large-scale infrastructure systems that support sustainable economic growth and job creation.
Discussions will focus on generating bankable projects, strengthening regional integration, and advancing critical infrastructure across transport, energy, and industrial value chains.
Key areas of interest include regional transport corridors, expansion of rail and port networks, cross-border energy systems, and the development of strategic minerals industries.
President William Ruto is expected to deliver the keynote address, underscoring Kenya’s commitment to regional connectivity and industrial development.
A central objective of the summit is to mobilize a greater share of Africa’s domestic financial resources toward viable infrastructure and industrial investments. Organisers note that while the continent holds significant capital, much of it remains underutilized or directed toward low-impact assets.
The summit will also mark the launch of the State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report 2026, a comprehensive assessment of the continent’s investment landscape interrogating investment gaps, capital flows, and priority project pipelines to directly inform capital deployment and project execution in support of “The Africa We Build” agenda.
The report is expected to provide insights into financing gaps, capital flows, and priority projects to guide future investment decisions.
According to AFC President and CEO Samaila Zubairu, Africa’s challenge is not a lack of capital but the need to effectively channel it into transformative projects that drive productivity, employment, and long-term growth.
“Africa is not capital poor; it is capital-trapped. The opportunity now is to channel that capital into infrastructure and industry at scale transforming resources into productivity, jobs, and long-term prosperity.” he said
He said that the forum will highlight successful models such as regional transport corridors and emerging national infrastructure financing mechanisms, demonstrating how coordinated efforts between governments, investors, and institutions can deliver impactful results.
With a spotlight on the East African region, discussions will explore opportunities to enhance connectivity through key trade routes linking Kenya to neighbouring countries, as well as broader plans to modernise rail and road networks.
Initiatives such as the Lobito Corridor and new national infrastructure financing vehicles, such as the Kenya National Infrastructure Fund, demonstrate what possible when capital, policy is, and projects are aligned.
These programmes aim to build integrated economic ecosystems that connect resources to energy, logistics, processing, and markets.
The summit is expected to serve as a platform for forging partnerships, advancing project pipelines, and driving actionable outcomes that support Africa’s industrialisation agenda.
It will also showcase successful initiatives that demonstrate how alignment between policy, capital, and project execution can deliver transformative outcomes.
With a focus on the East Africa Region, discussions will explore ways to enhance regional connectivity through improved transport networks and infrastructure corridors linking Kenya to neighbouring countries.
Recognising the East African Community as one of the continent’s most dynamic regional blocs, the Summit will spotlight priority regional corridors such as the Northern Corridor, linking the Port of Mombasa to Uganda, Rwanda, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan, alongside complementary routes connecting ports and coastal assets.
A central theme will be linking power and minerals, with an emphasis on value addition rather than mere extraction, to ensure that infrastructure investments deliver long-term economic transformation.
The Africa We Build Summit is expected to provide a platform for forging strategic partnerships and advancing actionable projects that will support Africa’s industrialisation agenda.
By Anita Omwenga
