The Africa Soft Power Summit will convene in Nairobi, Kenya, from 20 to 23 May 2026, bringing together leaders from business, policy, technology, media, culture and finance for one of the continent’s most distinctive high-level platforms. Curated cultural and destination experiences in and around Nairobi extend the wider programme through 24 May. Nigerian participants have been central to the summit’s growth across every edition, and the 2026 gathering is expected to draw the largest contingent of Nigerian business and policy leaders to date.
The theme for this year’s edition, Africa’s Compound Interest: Aligning Ecosystems of Finance, Creativity and Human Capital for Growth, reflects a strategic argument that as global economic systems recalibrate, Africa’s opportunity lies not in any single sector but in how its systems work together. Finance, creativity and human capital are often treated as separate domains; it is their alignment that determines whether value is created and sustained.
“The world is looking for fresh solutions, credible leadership and new pathways for growth. Africa’s creative and innovation sectors have already shown that they are not peripheral to that future. They are central to it,” said Dr Nkiru Balonwu, founder and creative director of the Africa Soft Power Group. “This summit is a fitting setting for that conversation because it reflects so much of the ambition, energy and connectivity the continent is building.”
For Nigeria’s business, policy and innovation communities, the summit offers more than attendance. It offers access to a cross-border conversation that is increasingly relevant to how African markets will attract capital, shape policy, build globally resonant brands and strengthen women’s leadership as part of institutional and economic design. More broadly, previous ASP convenings have brought together a distinctly cross-sector mix of voices from organisations such as Netflix, Meta, NBA, Apple, Mastercard, Google, MTN, NFL, Safaricom, Amazon Studios, Afreximbank, IFC, Bank of Industry, AfCFTA, and NGX Group, alongside former heads of state, ministers, founders, media leaders and cultural figures from across Africa and beyond.
The 2026 programme spans three tracks. The Remarkable African Women’s Leadership Conference, positioned as the continent’s first gathering dedicated entirely to African women’s leadership, opens the summit on 20 May. The Creative and Innovative Industries Conference follows, examining the commercial power of Africa’s creative sector. The ASP Gala and Awards Night brings African excellence in art, fashion, film, entertainment, media and technology to the centre of the summit experience.
For Nigerian founders, executives, investors and policymakers, the summit represents a structured opportunity to engage the wider continent from a position of substance.
Registration and enquiries are available here
BellaNaija is a Media Partner for The Africa Soft Power Summit 2026
