Shettima inaugurates new women, youth empowerment fund
File photo: Vice-President Kashim Shettima
Vice-President Kashim Shettima is set to unveil a new learning fund and empowerment platform targeted at unlocking the potential of Nigerian children, women and youths.
The event is scheduled to hold on Wednesday at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
This is contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha.
According to Nkwocha, “the initiative, convened by the Office of the Vice President in collaboration with Sterling One Foundation, the United Nations System and other ASIS partners, will form part of the outcomes of the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement.
“Also to be launched on Wednesday is the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI) Nigeria, the country’s flagship platform for advancing women and youth economic empowerment through compact-based delivery, co-investment frameworks and performance accountability.
“This will make Nigeria the implementation platform of the African Union’s WYFEI programme.
“WYFEI will also be launched in other countries after Nigeria.”
Speaking ahead of the engagement, Shettima said Nigeria was poised for a prosperity-filled future through the government’s sustained and effective mobilisation of funding, support and expertise, both internationally and locally.
“Nigeria’s future prosperity depends on how effectively we mobilise the private sector, development partners and public institutions around shared national priorities.
“This engagement marks a critical step toward delivery-driven partnerships that unlock the full potential of our women and youth, strengthen human capital and accelerate inclusive growth,” he said.
On her part, Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, Mrs Olapeju Ibekwe, said the ASIS 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement represents a pivotal shift from conversation to national execution.
Ibekwe said the high-level meeting would deliberately align policy, innovation, financing and frameworks that enable solutions to scale, delivering real impact for millions of Nigerians.
“While positioning Nigeria as a leader in Africa’s sustainable growth agenda,” she said.
