African leaders gathered in Nairobi for a two-day summit with French President Emmanuel Macron have called for a major overhaul of how financial risk on the continent is assessed, in a bid to unlock greater investment into key economic sectors, Kenya’s foreign affairs minister said.

The discussions, according to officials, focus on addressing what African leaders describe as an overly high-risk perception of Africa by global financial markets. This perception, they argue, contributes to higher borrowing costs and limits capital flows into critical development projects.

Host nation Kenya emphasized the need to reform risk-rating frameworks so they better reflect Africa’s economic realities and help unlock investment in infrastructure, energy, and industrial development.

The summit comes amid growing calls from African countries to strengthen economic sovereignty, diversify financing sources, and deepen international partnerships, including with France.

French President Emmanuel Macron, attending the meeting, supported discussions on reshaping economic relations with Africa toward a model focused more on investment and cooperation rather than traditional aid-based frameworks.

Further talks are expected on concrete mechanisms to mobilize both public and private financing for development across the continent.