New Cities Summit 2025 to gather global urban leaders in Nairobi

Following the success of CCI’s 2023 Africa’s New Cities Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, the event aims to advance discussions on the future of city-building and economic growth.

The summit will bring together over 500 participants, including government officials, technology founders, private investors, urban planners, infrastructure experts, and entrepreneurs. Discussions will focus on job creation, investment attraction, innovation, and sustainable urban expansion, with the theme: Transforming Ideas into Action, Across Africa & Beyond.

The program includes panel discussions, workshops, and pitch sessions designed to address the challenges and opportunities in developing new cities.

Topics will cover planning for rapid urban expansion, risk management and mitigation for new city projects, building a creative community to grow cities, tech and education clusters as drivers of progress, and lessons from the Middle East and North Africa.

Dedicated "deal rooms" and high-level networking events will provide business opportunities for investors, developers, and policymakers. Attendees will also have access to cultural and tourism experiences, including safaris.

Confirmed speakers include Magatte Wade (Prospera Africa), who will lead a fireside chat on Economic Freedom in Africa, Keith Weaver (Nashwood Entertainment, Uncle Nearest Whiskey), who will discuss leveraging entertainment and hospitality for economic growth, Stephen Jennings (CEO, Rendeavour), who will share insights on large-scale city development, Leonard Wantchekon (Founder, African School of Economics), who will provide economic policy perspectives, and Kingsley Mbah (Senior Manager, Afreximbank), who will discuss capital markets and urban financing.

Invitations have also been extended to figures such as Kenyan President William Ruto, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and actor Idris Elba, who has been involved in city-building initiatives.

The event is organized in partnership with the Smart Cities Council (SCC) and Kenya Development Corporation. SCC President Corey Gray emphasized Africa’s pivotal role in urban transformation over the next 50 years, highlighting how CCI and SCC's collaboration will accelerate new city projects through governance reform, capital mobilization, and technology integration.

The summit builds on the success of the 2023 Kigali event, which attracted over 250 delegates from 50 countries, featured 45 speakers, and facilitated six memoranda of understanding. The 2025 edition aims to further drive dialogue and action in city development.