President Bola Tinubu on Monday arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, to participate in the two-day Africa Forward Summit aimed at strengthening partnerships between African countries and France on economic growth, innovation and sustainable development.

Tinubu’s official aircraft, Nigeria Air Force 1, touched down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi at about 12:15 a.m. local time.

The President was received on arrival by senior Nigerian government officials, including Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

During the visit, Tinubu is expected to attend the Africa-France Summit, which will be co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto.

The summit, themed “Africa Forward: Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth,” will focus on energy transition, green industrialisation, digital transformation, climate action and the restructuring of the global financing architecture.

Tinubu’s participation is expected to reinforce Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening strategic partnerships with African countries and France, while showcasing ongoing reforms designed to position the country as a major destination for investment and economic growth.

The President is also expected to hold bilateral engagements with global and African business leaders on the sidelines of the summit as part of efforts to attract investment into key sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Following the Nairobi engagement, Tinubu will proceed to Kigali, Rwanda, later in the week to attend the Africa CEO Forum scheduled for May 14 to May 15.

The forum, themed “Scale or Fail,” is regarded as one of Africa’s largest gatherings of investors, policymakers and private sector leaders, with more than 2,000 participants expected to deliberate on accelerating economic transformation through regional integration and cross-border investments.

The President’s East African engagements form part of broader diplomatic and economic efforts by the administration to deepen international partnerships and expand opportunities for trade, investment and regional cooperation. (Arise News)

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