Africa Forward | Inspire & Connect
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Main Stage Afternoon
May 11, 2026
|
2:00 PM EAT
-
5:20 PM EAT
Main Stage Inspire
Presented by
ND
Nicolas
Dufourcq
Bpifrance
CEO
AM
Aziz
Mebarek
AfricInvest
Founding and Co-Managing partner
CG
Charles
Goemaere
Comité Champagne
CEO
AEA
Ahmed
El Alfi
Sawari Ventures
Founder and Chairman
CK
Carole
Kariuki
KEPSA
CEO
FB
Fatoumata
Ba
Janngo Capital
Founder and Executive Chair
Suggested
Sessions
Main Stage Inspire
May 11, 2026
8:20 AM
12:50 PM
Main Stage Morning
Speakers
:
OR
Odile
Renaud-Basso
BERD
President
CK
Charles
Kié
Genesis Holding
PDG
HM
Hon.Musalia
Mudavadi
Prime Cabinet Secretary
JB
Jean-Louis
Billon
FL
Françoise
Lombard
Proparco
CEO
JA
Jeremy
Awori
Ecobank Group
CEO
JM
John
Mwendwa
Kenya Investment Authority
CEO
TD
Tidjane
Dème
Partech
General Partner
LB
Létondji
Beheton
Société d’Investissement et de Promotion de l’Industrie (SIPI-BENIN S.A)
Managing Director
BB
Béatrice
Buffon
Groupe EDF
Directrice exécutive Groupe en charge des activités d'EDF power solutions
TH
Thierry
Hebraud
MCB
CEO
MM
Moroesi
Mokhabi
Brane Afrika
CEO and Co-Founder
LM
Louis
Margueritte
Business France
CEO
PP
Philippe
PIRON
GE VERNOVA
President Electrification and CEO for Grid Solutions & Power Conversion
HH
Hassanein
Hiridjee
Axian Group
CEO
JT
Jean-Pascal
Tricoire
Schneider Electric
Chairman
DSN
Dr. Stavros
Nicolaou
Aspen Pharmacare
Executive Director
MR
Mustafa
Rawji
Rawbank
CEO
YO
Yedau
Ogoundele
CRRH-UEMOA
Directrice Générale
BA
Baidy
Agne
National Employer's Council of Senegal
President
JB
Jean-Noël
Barrot
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs
DN
Dr.Peter
Ndegwa
Safaricom
ML
Maryse
Lokossou
CDC Bénin
Directrice générale
PG
Philippe
Gautier
MEDEF International
Directeur général
HDD
Hon. Dhaneshwar
Damry
Republic of Mauritius
Junior Minister of Finance
GO
Gbenga
Oyebode
ALN Nigeria | Aluko & Oyebode
Co-founder
KA
Kouakou
ABISSA
Atlantic Group
DG
Agora Trust
May 11, 2026
9:30 AM
10:00 AM
Mobilizing local capital: making African markets a driver of long-term investment
This panel focuses on the capacity of African financial markets to channel more capital towards long-term investment. It highlights market instruments, financial depth, institutional investors and...
Speakers
:
AM
Aziz
Mebarek
AfricInvest
Founding and Co-Managing partner
DCK
Denis Charles
Kouassi
CNPS
Directeur Général
SW
Sebastian
Wichmann
Lendable
Head of Africa
JA
Jean-Philippe
Aithnard
BOAD Titrisation
DGA
MI
Moustapha
Ibrahim
Proparco
Deputy Director West Africa
Agora Innovate
May 11, 2026
9:30 AM
10:00 AM
Digitalization as a lever for transforming businesses and governments
Digitalization has emerged as a structuring lever for productivity, competitiveness, and institutional performance in Africa, profoundly transforming both business models and public action. The rise...
Speakers
:
AD
Agnes
Diallo
Imprimerie Nationale (IN GROUPE)
DG
AM
Angela
Mwirigi
KCB
Director, Digital Financial Services
EM
Elisabeth
Moreno
Ring Capital
Présidente du CA
Agora Produce
May 11, 2026
9:45 AM
10:15 AM
Digital Infrastructure: Building a Sovereign African Backbone
This panel will focus on the infrastructure essential to the continent’s digital transformation: connectivity, backbone networks, towers, data centres and the cloud. It will demonstrate that digital...
Speakers
:
CW
Chris
Wood
WIOCC
CEO
TDR
Thibaut
de Rodellec
AktivCo
CEO
YS
Yasser
Shaker
Orange
CEO OMEA
AK
Alykhan
Kassam
Netis
CEO
Agora Build
May 11, 2026
9:45 AM
10:15 AM
Moving from political discourse to concrete industrialization
"Trade agreements, industrial strategies, bilateral commitments: the shared ambition between Africa and Europe has never been stronger. Turning this ambition into installed productive capacity,...
Speakers
:
PAS
Papa Amadou
Sarr
Porteo
Directeur général
AAK
Amb. Alfred
K'Ombudo
Conseiller du Président Ruto, Chef négociateur Kenya–UE EPA
DBK
Dr. Bimal
Kantaria
ELGON
Managing Director
PL
Pascal
Lorot
Institut Choiseul
Président
MM
Marie-Laure
Mazaud
STOA Infra & Energy
CEO
Agora Innovate
May 11, 2026
10:15 AM
10:45 AM
Moving from fascination with AI to tangible productivity gains
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being deployed in Africa as a lever for productivity in key sectors such as banking, telecommunications, agriculture, logistics, and public services. The...
Speakers
:
MT
Meissa
Tall
KPMG
Partner
CK
Charles
Krzentowski
KYX Africa
CEO & Co-Founder
LO
Leslie
Ossete
M-Studio
COO
MK
Mélanie
Keita
Melanin Kapital
Founder & CEO
