Africa PPP 2026 heads to Nairobi with focus on bankable infrastructure

Africa PPP 2026 will return to Nairobi in November with a push to turn infrastructure plans into financeable projects and delivery partnerships. The summit comes as Kenya expands its PPP pipeline and Africa’s private capital pools grow, sharpening attention on project preparation, risk-sharing and implementation. Why it matters: - Africa’s infrastructure gap is increasingly about execution, not just ambition. - The summit will focus on how governments and investors can move projects from concept to financial close and then into delivery. - Kenya’s hosting role gives the event a practical test case for PPPs in roads, power, housing, water and other sectors. What happened: - The 16th Africa PPP Infrastructure Finance, Investment & Partnerships Summit will return to Nairobi in 2026. - The summit will be hosted by the Public Private Partnerships Directorate of the Republic of Kenya. - The theme is “Building Africa’s Prosperity: Transformative Infrastructure, Investment and Partnerships to Accelerate Economic Development.” - The main conference will open with sessions on infrastructure, regional integration, industrialisation and productive economic growth. - A full-day pre-conference masterclass, “From Vision to Investment: Preparing Bankable Infrastructure Projects for PPP and Private Sector Financing,” will take place on 11 November 2026. The details: - Kenya’s PPP Directorate April 2026 status report lists 51 PPP projects, including 10 under implementation and 41 at different stages of the project cycle. - Kenya’s PPP pipeline spans roads, power, housing, water, agriculture and social infrastructure. - Kenya has also moved to establish a National Infrastructure Fund to reduce reliance on public debt and mobilise private and institutional capital. - The fund is intended to support commercially viable projects across highways, railways, airports, seaports and electricity infrastructure. - Africa Finance Corporation’s 2026 State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report says Africa’s challenge is shifting from raising capital to deploying it effectively. - The report says non-bank domestic capital pools now exceed US$2 trillion. - The report says pension and insurance assets have crossed US$1 trillion. - The summit will bring together governments, PPP units, infrastructure agencies, development finance institutions, institutional investors, commercial lenders, project developers, advisers and technology providers. - Sessions will look at how national development plans can become credible PPP pipelines. - Sessions will also examine how domestic savings can be channelled into productive infrastructure. - MDBs, DFIs and regional development banks will be discussed as tools to de-risk projects and crowd in private capital. - Kenya’s role as an East African logistics, financial, digital and industrial hub is expected to shape the discussions. - The second day will focus on roads, rail and border infrastructure for intra-African trade. - Other topics include bankable energy, transmission and regional power trade. - The programme will also cover affordable water, health, housing and waste PPPs. - Ports, maritime logistics and air connectivity will also be discussed. - Infrastructure for agriculture, agro-industrialisation and food security is part of the agenda. - The event will include curated meetings, project-focused discussions, high-level networking sessions, and technical and investment visits linked to the host market. - For media enquiries, registration and partnership opportunities, contact appp@ametrade.org. - AME Trade also lists its social media channels , Facebook page , YouTube channel and X account . Between the lines: - The program reflects a broader push to make PPPs more investable by improving pipeline quality, procurement readiness and contract structuring. - The emphasis on domestic capital shows how African project sponsors are trying to tap local savings more aggressively. - The focus on delivery partnerships suggests the market is moving beyond policy talk toward transaction execution. What’s next: - The summit will use the Nairobi platform to identify projects, investors and delivery partners that can advance to preparation and implementation. - The pre-conference masterclass is designed to help public institutions improve project readiness before they approach the market. - Organizers expect the event to support future PPP collaboration across the continent.