KRIF Foundation Sets New January 2026 Date for Regal Influence Summit, Expands Pan-African Scope

The KRIF Foundation has announced fresh details and an expanded vision for the 2026 Regal Influence Summit, now rescheduled to 23–25 January 2026 at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra. The event, initially slated for November 2025, has been moved in honour of the state burial of former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.

In a statement, Mrs. Awura Adjoa Okosun, Managing Director of the KRIF Foundation, said the date adjustment reflects the organisation’s commitment to preserving the legacy of the late former First Lady.

“We have adjusted the Summit dates out of deep respect for the life and legacy of Her Excellency Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings,” she said, noting that the Summit’s values of service, dignity and mentorship closely align with her impact on national development.

Under the theme “Commanding Influence, Shaping Nations,” the 2026 Summit is expected to bring together an influential mix of Presidents, former Heads of State, First Ladies, policy makers, diplomats, business leaders, investors, traditional rulers, faith leaders and innovators from across Africa and the diaspora.

Designed as a high-level leadership convocation, the Summit aims to harness collective influence toward sustainable development across the continent.

Organisers say the 2026 edition will place particular emphasis on strengthening Ghana–Nigeria relations, highlighting Nigeria’s strategic role in West Africa’s governance and economic landscape. The Foundation notes that the participation of eminent leaders from both nations will support efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation and bolster regional influence.

With Africa projected to host the world’s largest workforce by 2040, the Summit will focus on redirecting influence to tackle key development challenges including education, infrastructure, unemployment, healthcare and governance.

Key objectives include: Mobilising influential leaders toward high-impact development initiatives; Facilitating cross-sector policy and business collaboration; Elevating the role of First Ladies and women leaders; Establishing lasting legacy and mentorship systems; and Creating continental partnerships that accelerate socio-economic transformation.

The statement said participants should expect a robust line-up of events, including: Presidential and first ladies’ dialogue, royal panel of eminent chiefs and queen mothers, leadership masterclasses and keynote speeches, policy roundtables and thematic sessions, high-level investment and partnership networking, a grand gala and legacy awards, and thanksgiving and celebration service.

The Summit will also launch several initiatives: Regal mentorship programme, widow’s empowerment fund, scholarship initiatives, braille literacy and inclusion project, and interfaith dialogue platform.

According to the statement, organisers anticipate that the 2026 gathering will result in a strengthened network of African “regal influencers,” new intergovernmental and private-sector partnerships, a published leadership communiqué containing actionable policy insights, and the expansion of the Foundation’s Regal Impact Initiatives.

The KRIF Foundation is a non-profit organisation focused on promoting good governance, ethical and transformative leadership, and national development.