Africa is set to have a new platform dedicated to shaping the continent’s future, with the African Agenda Forum preparing to officially launch in Nairobi on Saturday, October 31, 2026.
The Pan-African body, which describes itself as an institution focused on Africa’s interests, growth and global image, will make its debut at the Hilton Hotel Nairobi from 3:00 PM to 10:00 PM EAT.
Billed as a major continental convening, the launch is expected to bring together Heads of State, government leaders, diplomats, Fortune 500 CEOs, cultural icons and global partners from across Africa and the world.
At the heart of the Forum is a mission to give Africans greater ownership of the continent’s narrative while advancing the ambitions of Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.
The Forum says it seeks to cooperate with the rest of the world without becoming dependent on it, while working as a strategic partner to the African Union to advance policy, trade, investment and culture in ways that prioritise African interests.
A new Pan-African platform
The African Agenda Forum is being established around the idea that Africa should play a greater role in determining how its future is shaped and how its story is told globally.
Its mission is captured in the theme: “Own Our Story. Build Our Future.”
The Forum will seek to bring together leaders and stakeholders from across the continent to develop initiatives around economic growth, policy, investment, culture and Africa’s global positioning.
A key component of its launch will be the unveiling of 54 Country Directors, with one appointed leader representing each of Africa’s 54 nations.
According to the Forum, the network is designed to create what it describes as the continent’s largest grassroots-to-global implementation network, connecting national leadership with a broader Pan-African agenda.
Amb. Dr. Yusuf Noah, Acting Chairperson of the African Agenda Forum, said the initiative is about Africans taking ownership of the continent’s story and building institutions capable of delivering the ambitions of Agenda 2063.
“For too long, Africa’s story has been written for us. The African Agenda Forum is Africa writing its own story. From our 54 Country Directors to our Creative Economy Council, we are building the institutions, the policies, and the pride that Agenda 2063 demands. Africa does not need to be rescued. Africa needs to organize. And on 31st October, we begin.”
Global ambassadors to champion Africa
The Forum will also unveil Global Ambassadors for Africa, bringing together distinguished leaders from around the world who will champion Africa’s narrative, investments and partnerships on international platforms.
The ambassadors are expected to play a role in strengthening the continent’s engagement with global institutions, investors and partners while helping to present a more unified African voice internationally.
The initiative comes as African countries continue to seek stronger positions in global trade, investment, technology, culture and diplomacy.
For the African Agenda Forum, the objective is to ensure that Africa engages the world from a position of greater confidence and collective strength.
Creative economy takes centre stage
One of the major pillars being unveiled during the launch is the African Creative Economy Council, a continental body that will focus on developing policies, infrastructure and structures for Africa’s creative industries.
The Council will cover sectors including arts, music, film, fashion, gaming and culture.
Beyond promoting creative talent, the Forum says the Council will focus on protecting African intellectual property, funding creative enterprises, creating jobs for young people and building systems that can transform African culture into a billion-dollar export owned and controlled by Africans.
The emphasis on the creative economy reflects the growing importance of Africa’s cultural industries, with music, film, fashion, digital content and other creative sectors increasingly becoming significant contributors to the continent’s economic and cultural influence.
Through the Council, the African Agenda Forum intends to create a continental framework that can help structure and scale these industries while ensuring African creators retain greater ownership of their intellectual property and economic value.
Unstoppable African Awards to debut
The Nairobi launch will also mark the debut of the UAA — Unstoppable African Awards.
The first edition of the awards will recognise Africans who are defying limits and contributing to the development of the continent from within.
The awards will honour achievements across business, governance, innovation and culture, putting the spotlight on individuals who are helping to shape Africa’s future.
The introduction of the awards adds a recognition component to the Forum’s broader institutional and economic agenda, celebrating Africans who are already contributing to the continent’s growth.
Regional voices in a continental agenda
The Forum’s vision also places emphasis on ensuring that different regions of Africa have a role in shaping the broader continental agenda.
Mr. Sidwel Phutheho, TAAF SADC Regional Executive, said the platform will allow the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other African regions to participate in discussions around trade, culture and policy.
“The South speaks, the North listens, and the whole continent moves. The African Agenda Forum gives SADC and all regions a seat at the table to shape trade, culture, and policy from the ground up. This is regional unity in action for a continental agenda. It is for everyone one of us to carry the responsibility to leave Africa better than we found it”
His remarks highlight the Forum’s intention to promote regional participation while pursuing a wider Pan-African agenda.
The goal is to create a structure where voices from different parts of the continent contribute to decisions and initiatives affecting Africa as a whole.
Agriculture and value addition on the agenda
Agriculture and value addition will also form part of the Forum’s broader economic vision.
Dr. Hillary Musoke, Senior Advisor to the President of Uganda on Agribusiness and Value Addition and Board Director at TAAF, said Africa must focus on building value chains that allow the continent to benefit more from what it produces.
“Africa’s future will be grown, not borrowed. From farm to factory to global markets, we must add value to what we produce. The African Agenda Forum is the platform to align policy, investment, and youth in agribusiness so that Africa feeds itself and the world — on our own terms.”
The statement reflects one of the Forum’s central themes: moving beyond dependence and strengthening African capacity to produce, process and export goods while retaining more value within the continent.
By linking policy, investment and youth participation in agribusiness, the Forum aims to position agriculture as an important component of Africa’s economic transformation.
A gathering for Africa’s future
The African Agenda Forum says its launch is not intended to be an event for spectators but a gathering for builders, creators and policymakers.
The October 31 launch will bring together stakeholders from politics, business, diplomacy, culture and the creative economy, creating a platform for discussions around the future direction of the continent.
The event will also provide the first public unveiling of the Forum’s key institutional pillars, including the 54 Country Directors, Global Ambassadors for Africa, African Creative Economy Council and the Unstoppable African Awards.
With its focus on Agenda 2063, economic growth, creative industries, investment and African ownership, the Forum is positioning itself as a platform through which the continent can pursue a more united approach to its development and global engagement.
Its overarching message is clear: Africa should not simply be part of conversations about its future; Africans should be at the centre of defining that future.
Those interested in attending, collaborating, covering, or participating in the initiative can register through www.theafricanagendaforum.
The African Agenda Forum says its long-term objective is to mobilise leadership, capital and culture so that Africa can engage the world as a united, confident and self-determining continent.
