Adedokun Waliyu 
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for increased investment in Africa, urging global partners to replace traditional aid models with economic opportunities that would strengthen the continent’s sovereignty and long-term development.
Macron made the remarks on Monday while co-hosting the Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth Summit in Nairobi alongside Kenyan President William Ruto.
Speaking at the University of Nairobi, the French leader said Africa needed strategic investment to become more economically independent and resilient.
“Africa needs investment to become more sovereign,” Macron stated, adding that the era of European leaders lecturing African nations about development priorities was over.
According to him, both Africa and Europe must now focus on partnerships driven by innovation, trade, and mutual economic growth rather than dependence on foreign aid.
Macron acknowledged Europe’s changing economic realities, saying Western nations no longer possessed the same financial capacity they once had to sustain large-scale aid programmes.
Ahead of the summit, the French president also addressed longstanding criticisms surrounding colonialism and Europe’s historical role in Africa. While reaffirming his condemnation of colonialism, Macron argued that post-independence governance challenges should not be blamed solely on colonial history.
“We must not exonerate from all responsibility the seven decades that followed independence,” he said, calling on African leaders to strengthen governance and accountability.
Macron defended Europe’s current engagement with Africa, insisting that European nations were not acting as “predators” on the continent. He contrasted Europe’s approach with the ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China, accusing Beijing of pursuing a “predatory logic” in the processing of critical minerals and rare earth resources.
The French president said Europe’s objective was to build “a strategy of autonomy” for both continents through fairer economic partnerships and reforms in international finance that could attract greater private-sector investment into Africa.
The summit comes as France seeks to rebuild and redefine its relationship with African nations following years of strained ties, particularly in the Sahel region.
France recently withdrew military forces from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger after military coups in those countries led to deteriorating diplomatic relations.
Commenting on the situation, Macron said France respected the right of those countries to determine their own political future, while defending France’s previous military operations in the region as efforts aimed at combating jihadist threats.
“A new era is about to start,” Macron said, expressing optimism that democratic governance would eventually return to the Sahel region.
