The Africa Soft Power Summit 2025 concluded in Nairobi with leaders committed to leveraging Africa’s financial, technological, and creative resources for sustainable development.

Under the theme “Africa’s Growth Engine: Aligning the Flow of Money, Innovation, and Global Opportunities,” experts addressed cross-border trade, AI governance, women’s leadership, and the creative economy.

A significant focus was the imperative to move beyond “performative actions” in gender equity towards systemic change. A Kenyan MP, Naisula Lesuuda, cautioned against “inclusion fatigue”, advocating for profound shifts within organisations to genuinely open leadership spaces for women.

This sentiment was echoed by business leaders like UBA Kenya’s Mary Mulili, who stressed institutionalising gender equity, and Nkiru Balonwu, Founder of Africa Soft Power Group, who called for Africans to define their own diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) frameworks.

Wangari Muikia of Expertise Global argued for DEI as a fundamental driver of economic performance. The summit’s Creative & Innovative Industries Conference highlighted the drive for innovation in financial technologies alongside stability and broad access.

Philip Ikeazor of Nigeria’s Central Bank confirmed regulators are working to “support the growth of digital finance” with updated standards. The critical role of infrastructure, particularly reliable power and digital payment systems, was emphasised as foundational for the digital economy.

As Mr. Ikeazor aptly put it, infrastructure is “what connects capital to innovation.” Discussions on Artificial Intelligence centered on equitable utilisation and digital sovereignty.

Dr. Seydina Moussa Ndiaye of the Senegalese Association for Artificial Intelligence defined digital sovereignty as controlling data and infrastructure while “framing the technology in our own terms.”

This involves focusing on Africa’s specific contextual needs rather than solely on large-scale infrastructure, with an emphasis on ensuring Africans are “part of the engine and ecosystem” of AI development, as noted by Lorna Omondi of Google Research Africa. Open-source AI models were presented as a significant opportunity for African developers.

The commercial potential of Africa’s creative sectors, including film, sports, and entertainment, was another key area. Authenticity and “local developments that are contextual” were identified as crucial for bankable film projects by Kola Aina of Ventures Platform, who also stressed the need for “Data, distribution and de-risking” to attract investment.

Filmmaker, Judy Kibinge championed telling diverse African “human stories that need to travel,” challenging the notion that documentaries must focus on negative themes for global recognition.

The severe economic impact of piracy, estimated at “$2.2 million dollars a day” in Kenya alone, was also highlighted by Michael Strano of Partners Against Piracy Association of Kenya.

The burgeoning beauty and wellness economy, largely driven by women, was recognised for its potential to address local needs and close access gaps, particularly in healthcare.

Furthermore, the summit explored transforming remittances from individual support into structured investments for national development and capital markets; an action that would require interoperable systems, transparency, and policy alignment to channel these funds towards areas like climate adaptation and SME growth.

Overarching themes included the urgent need for increased African-led investment, with decision-makers possessing contextual understanding. Enhanced collaboration between governments, the private sector, and innovators across borders was also a prominent call.