Presidency, Sterling One Foundation Co-host Africa Social Impact Summit Policy Engagement
By Elegbede Abiodun
Vice President, in a statement, said Nigeria’s future prosperity would depend on the effectiveness of collaboration across sectors.
The Office of the Vice President to co-host the 2026 Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) High-Level Policy Engagement, as stakeholders converge to deepen policy reforms and mobilise partnerships accelerating inclusive growth and national development.
Co-hosting with the Sterling One Foundation, the engagement is positioned as a national platform for translating continental development commitments into concrete, country-level action. It will align policy reform efforts, private-sector mobilisation, and development finance with Nigeria’s most pressing socio-economic priorities, the organisers stated.
Themed “Scaling Action – Driving Inclusive Growth through Policy and Innovation,” the engagement will convene over 200 senior leaders from government, private enterprise, development institutions, civil society, and the diplomatic community.
With only five years remaining to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the forum is designed to catalyse policy reforms, unlock innovative and blended financing, and accelerate implementation across critical development sectors.
Now in its fifth year, the Africa Social Impact Summit has emerged as a leading private sector-led continental platform for mobilising public-private collaboration in support of the SDGs. Co-convened by Sterling One Foundation and the United Nations, ASIS has consistently highlighted the role of policy innovation, strategic partnerships, and impact financing in addressing Africa’s social and economic challenges.
Speaking ahead of the engagement, the office of the Vice President, in a statement, said Nigeria’s future prosperity would depend on the effectiveness of collaboration across sectors. “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.
Similarly, chief executive officer of Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe, described the engagement as a transition from dialogue to action. “ASIS 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement represents a pivotal shift from conversation to national execution. By deliberately aligning policy, innovation, and financing, we are catalysing a framework that enables solutions to scale, delivering real impact for millions of Nigerians while positioning Nigeria as a leader in Africa’s sustainable growth agenda,” she said.
Key highlights include the launch of flagship, policy-backed initiatives such as the Business Coalition for Education (BCE) and the Nigeria Foundational Learning Fund, both targeted at accelerating foundational literacy and numeracy while addressing the challenge of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
Also to be launched 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. The platform will serve as Nigeria’s implementation framework for the African Union’s WYFEI programme.
The event will also feature the adoption of the WYFEI Nigeria Declaration, a national statement of intent to be endorsed by government leaders, chief executives, and development partners, committing to coordinated action to unlock Nigeria’s women and youth dividend.
Anchored within the United Nations SDG Stimulus Framework and aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the ASIS 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement is expected to reinforce Nigeria’s leadership in translating continental and global commitments into national action focused on inclusive growth, shared prosperity, and long-term resilience.
