All the answers in one place.

ALMS 2026 is the first pan-African summit that brings together, in one place and at one time, the actors of five last-mile African verticals — digital health, economic inclusion, food security, human capital, housing and territories — around a strategic cross-cutting thread: sovereign AI and African data governance. Organised by EVIAL Group, it takes place from 21 to 23 October 2026 in Abidjan.

Abidjan stands out naturally as the summit's capital: economic hub of French-speaking West Africa, headquarters of the African Development Bank, fintech and digital hub of the ECOWAS zone. The city offers the ideal ecosystem for institutions, companies and innovators to engage in dialogue.

It is a pivotal moment: new ECOWAS data regulations, acceleration of national AI strategies, growing engagement of donors on digital inclusion. The schedule also avoids the rainy season and aligns with institutional agendas (AfDB assemblies, COP, regional summits).

Public decision-makers (ministries, regulators, local authorities), private operators (health, finance, agri, ed-tech, real estate), researchers and academics, entrepreneurs and start-ups, pan-African and international investors, donors, specialised media. 500 expected participants, 20 countries represented, 100 leading speakers.

Four interlocking layers: (1) Hackathon "Last Mile 48h" on 19-20 October — 60 participants on 6 challenges (Health, Fin, Agri, Ed, Habitat + AI); (2) The summit on 21-23 October — plenaries, panels, parallel sessions per vertical, workshops, abstracts, exhibition; (3) Investor Corner on day 2 afternoon — 15 start-ups pitch before 25 investors; (4) Policy Roundtable on day 3 morning behind closed doors — Ministers, WHO, AfDB, ECOWAS around the Abidjan Declaration.

Yes. All plenaries and most parallel sessions benefit from simultaneous French ↔ English interpretation. Closed-door workshops may be unilingual depending on the invited participants.

1,200 m² on the CCI-CI ground floor, 50 modular booths, networking lounge areas and a continuous cafeteria. Booths are reserved primarily for sponsors, institutional partners and accredited exhibitors. See our sponsorship page for details.

Yes. All accepted abstracts (oral and posters) are compiled in the summit's official communications booklet, distributed in print and digital format to participants, and published on the ALMS website after the event.

Six Early Bird tariff categories (until 30 September 2026): Students 16,000 FCFA · Côte d'Ivoire nationals 50,000 FCFA · Africa 75,000 FCFA · African diaspora 105,000 FCFA · Outside Africa 150,000 FCFA · Media free (subject to accreditation). See the Registration page for the conditions of each category.

Secure payment via Paystack: Mobile Money (Orange Money, MTN MoMo, Wave, Moov), UEMOA bank cards, international Visa and Mastercard. You receive a quote by email after registration, payable immediately or later via the link provided.

Yes — that's even the norm for conferences. Your registration is recorded immediately, the quote is emailed to you with a payment link valid until you actually pay. The Early Bird rate applies as long as you pay before 30 September 2026.

Free cancellation up to 30 days before the summit (21 September 2026). Between 30 and 7 days before, 50% refund. Less than 7 days before, no refund but free name transfer is possible. Send any request to secretariat@africalastmile.com.

Yes, name transfer is free up to 48 hours before the summit. Write to us with the new participant's details — we will update the badge and certificate.

Select the "Media" category in the registration form. The request is free but subject to review by the ALMS press office within 5 business days. You must provide: name and type of media, press card number (if applicable), list of recent published works (URLs).

Yes to all open sessions of the summit (plenaries, panels, parallel sessions, exhibition, hackathon final). The Policy Roundtable on day 3 is closed-door and is followed by a public reporting press briefing at 12:00. The Investor Corner accommodates a limited number of accredited journalists by separate invitation.

Yes, a complete press kit (concept note, biographies of main speakers, high-resolution photos, official logos) is made available on the /presse area from August 2026.

Official applications open in June 2026. In the meantime, you can express your interest by email to be notified first. 60 places to fill across 6 challenges (1 per vertical Health/Fin/Agri/Ed/Habitat + 1 AI), selection on application (CV, motivation, expertise, preferred challenge). See the Hackathon page for details.

No. For the 60 selected candidates, participation is entirely free: no hackathon registration fee, no ALMS 2026 summit registration fee. You also gain free access to all three days of the summit (21-23 October) on top of the 48 hours of hackathon. Travel and accommodation costs in Abidjan remain your responsibility unless a specific scholarship applies.

French is the main language. English is accepted for pitches and deliverables. Mentors cover both languages.

Academic researchers, PhD students, post-docs, but also field operators, start-ups, ministries and NGOs wishing to share a structured operational experience. No affiliation is required — the scientific quality of the submission prevails.

You indicate your preference at submission, but the scientific committee decides the final format based on balance across axes. Oral = 12 min talk + 3 min Q&A (day 2 PM). Poster = permanent display D1-D3 + interactive session day 2 at 17:00. Both formats lead to publication in the proceedings booklet.

31 July 2026. Notification of acceptance to authors: 15 September 2026. Author registration deadline for the summit: 30 September 2026 (Early Bird).

Yes. Six awards presented at the closing ceremony on day 3: one per thematic axis, with cash and editorial visibility. Amounts will be announced at the opening of submissions.

At the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Côte d'Ivoire (CCI-CI), 6 avenue Joseph Anoma, Le Plateau, Abidjan. This is Abidjan's business district, 30 minutes by taxi from Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport.

Yes, agreements with several hotels in Le Plateau and Cocody are being finalised, with preferential "ALMS 2026" rates. The full list and promo codes are published on the Transport page from July 2026.

Félix-Houphouët-Boigny Airport (ABJ) → CCI-CI Plateau: 16 km, 25-40 min depending on traffic. Official metered taxis, Yango / Heetch ride-hailing (recommended, payment by Mobile Money or card), partner hotel shuttles. See the Transport page for details.

ECOWAS nationals are exempt from visa. For other countries, the Ivorian e-Visa is requested online at snedai.com (48-72 business hours, around €75 for a short stay). Our team can provide an official invitation letter to registered and paid participants.

Strictly governed by our privacy policy. Your data is used only to organise your visit (badge, access, operational communications), B2B matching if you activate the meeting platform, and the ALMS newsletter if you have consented. No transfer to commercial third parties.

Registration data is kept for 24 months after the event for accounting and follow-up purposes. You may request earlier deletion at any time via secretariat@africalastmile.com. Payment data is handled by Paystack and is PCI-DSS compliant.