The Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement will take place on Wednesday, January 28, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, bringing together government officials, business leaders, development partners, and civil society to advance results-driven solutions for inclusive growth, foundational learning, and economic empowerment of women and youth.
Co-hosted by the Office of the Vice President and Sterling One Foundation, the event aims to translate continental commitments into actionable national policies. Key focus areas include education, skills development, financial inclusion, health, entrepreneurship, and institutional strengthening, aligning private sector engagement with Nigeria’s most urgent development priorities.
The engagement, themed “Scaling Action – Driving Inclusive Growth through Policy and Innovation,” will gather over 200 leaders from government, private enterprise, civil society, and the diplomatic community. It is designed to accelerate implementation of Nigeria’s critical development goals, five years ahead of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
ASIS, now in its fifth year, is a leading platform for public-private collaboration to drive sustainable development in Africa. The 2026 session will focus on converting previous ASIS recommendations into national policies and financing frameworks, embedding commitments into Nigeria’s policy ecosystem, and mobilising capital toward measurable SDG outcomes.
Flagship initiatives to be launched include the Business Coalition for Education (BCE) and the Nigeria Foundational Learning Fund, targeting improved literacy and numeracy for out-of-school children. The Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI) Nigeria platform will also be launched to advance economic empowerment through co-investment frameworks and performance accountability. WYFEI Nigeria will serve as the national implementation platform for the African Union’s women and youth economic empowerment program.
Vice President of Nigeria highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration, saying: “Nigeria’s future prosperity depends on how effectively we mobilise the private sector, development partners, and public institutions around shared national priorities. This engagement is a critical step toward unlocking the full potential of our women and youth, strengthening human capital, and accelerating inclusive growth.”
Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation, added: “ASIS 2026 represents a pivotal shift from conversation to execution. By aligning policy, innovation, and financing, we are creating solutions that deliver real impact for millions of Nigerians while positioning Nigeria as a leader in Africa’s sustainable growth agenda.”
The event will also feature the adoption of the WYFEI Nigeria Declaration, a national statement of intent to coordinate action in unlocking the country’s women and youth dividend. Anchored within the UN SDG Stimulus Framework and aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, ASIS 2026 reinforces Nigeria’s leadership in translating continental and global commitments into tangible national action.
Since 2022, ASIS has been a premier platform for accelerating progress on the SDGs in Africa. Sterling One Foundation, a registered non-profit, continues to champion interventions across health, education, climate action, and food security, with gender equality and women empowerment as cross-cutting priorities.
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