The Africa Social Impact Summit, ASIS 2026 is set to redefine policy-driven development in Nigeria convegence of a High-Level Policy Engagement on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
This is being powered by Sterling One Foundation, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the United Nations System and key partners.
The high-level engagement will bring together over 200 senior leaders, including top government officials, chief executives, development partners, investors, civil society actors, and members of the diplomatic community, to advance results-driven partnerships focused on inclusive growth, foundational learning, women and youth empowerment, and national development delivery.
Co-hosted by the Office of the Vice President and Sterling One Foundation, the engagement will serve as a national platform to translate continental commitments into concrete country-level action, aligning policy reform, private sector mobilisation, and development finance around Nigeria’s most urgent priorities.
These include education, jobs, skills development, financial inclusion, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and institutional strengthening.
Themed “Scaling Action – Driving Inclusive Growth through Policy and Innovation,” the convening comes at a critical moment, with only five years remaining to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
It is designed to accelerate implementation by unlocking innovative and blended financing solutions and driving policy reforms across key sectors.
Now in its fifth year, ASIS has emerged as a leading private sector–led continental platform, co-convened by Sterling One Foundation and the United Nations, mobilising public-private collaboration to address Africa’s most pressing social and economic challenges.
The 2026 engagement builds on this legacy by focusing squarely on translating past ASIS communiqués into actionable national policies and financing frameworks.
A major highlight of the engagement will be the launch of flagship, policy-backed initiatives, including the Business Coalition for Education (BCE) and the Nigeria Foundational Learning Fund, aimed at accelerating literacy and numeracy while tackling the country’s out-of-school children challenge.
Also to be launched is Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI) Nigeria, the country’s flagship platform for advancing women and youth empowerment through compact-based delivery, co-investment frameworks, and performance accountability. The platform serves as Nigeria’s implementation arm of the African Union WYFEI Programme.
Speaking ahead of the event, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima said Nigeria’s future prosperity depends on effective 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, Mrs. Olapeju Ibekwe, Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, described the engagement as a turning point.
“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.
The event will also feature the adoption of the WYFEI Nigeria Declaration, a national statement of intent to be endorsed by government leaders, CEOs, and development partners, committing to coordinated action to unlock Nigeria’s women and youth dividend.
Anchored within the UN SDG Stimulus Framework and aligned with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the ASIS 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement reinforces Nigeria’s leadership in translating continental and global commitments into measurable national outcomes focused on inclusive growth, shared prosperity, and long-term resilience.
The engagement forms part of the post–Africa Social Impact Summit national action series, designed to move beyond dialogue to systems reform, capital mobilisation, and measurable impact across Africa’s largest economy.
Leave a Reply