The Sterling One Foundation, in conjunction with United Nations Nigeria, MTN Foundation, and the Lagos State Government, formally announced the agenda for the third edition of the Africa Social Impact Summit 2024, ASIS 3.0. This announcement occurred at a press conference held on Tuesday, 9th of July 2024, in Lagos. The 2024 edition of the ASIS will take place from the 25th – 26th July, 2024

Present at the press conference were Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO, Sterling One Foundation; Mohammed M. Malick Fall, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations in Nigeria; Abubakar Sulieman, MD/CEO, Sterling Bank; Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director, MTN Foundation; Hauwa Adeeyo, Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investments, and Dr. Mories Atoki, CEO, ABC Health, among other key stakeholders and partners.

In her opening remarks, Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO, Sterling One Foundation, stated, “The Africa Social Impact Summit has three major goals: to galvanize effective partnerships across the public sector, private sector, and the development ecosystem; to advocate for policies that will attract investments in major development sectors; and to ensure impactful investments in those sectors. We are pleased to announce that over 40% of last year’s participants have received various levels of investment. One significant example is the MTN Foundation’s investment of over 3 billion Naira to support primary healthcare centers nationwide in partnership with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria. This year, we will host an investors roundtable on July 24th at the Eko Convention Centre as a pre-event engagement before the summit on July 25th and 26th. We invite stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and representatives from the private and public sectors, to join us in reimagining progress and designing a new blueprint for sustainable growth in Africa.”

The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Assistant Secretary-General Mohammed, highlighted the urgency of the summit’s goals, saying, “We have discovered that we are behind on several indicators, and this comes at a time of numerous global challenges, including economic downturns. With only six years left to achieve the 2030 SDG targets, it is time to double our efforts. This gathering is crucial for galvanizing partnerships, as the SDGs are designed so that no single sector or entity can meet these goals alone. The theme of this year’s summit, ‘Reimagining Progress: A New Blueprint for Sustainable Growth in Africa,’ resonates deeply with the UN, prompting us to support and partner with the Sterling One Foundation in co-convening ASIS 2024.”

Abubakar Sulieman, member of the Board of Trustees for the Sterling One Foundation and CEO of Sterling Bank Limited, expressed confidence in the summit’s collaborative potential, stating, “As I walked into this room, I realized that our collective effort could achieve our goals. The institutions represented here demonstrate that we are well on our way to success. At Sterling Bank, we have always believed in using our trusted position to solve problems by galvanizing partnerships. In the social impact scene, we are many but often weak due to being distributed and disconnected. Size matters, and the beauty of what we do at Sterling One Foundation is our willingness to partner, co-convening with the United Nations.”

The Africa Social Impact Summit 2024 is crucial for sustainable growth. It aims to address pressing issues through innovative solutions and strategic partnerships. This year’s theme, “Reimagining Progress: A New Blueprint for Sustainable Growth in Africa,” underscores the need for collaborative efforts to tackle Africa’s development challenges effectively.

Registrations for the ASIS summit are currently ongoing. Interested participants, innovators, investors, entrepreneurs, exhibitors and representatives from the private and public sectors can visit www.theimpactsummit.org to register or get more information.

The ASIS, which started in 2022, has grown into a significant platform for driving social impact across Africa. The summit aims to bring together various public, private, and development stakeholders to create effective partnerships and advocate for impactful policies.

About the Co-Conveners

Sterling One Foundation (SOF) is a registered non-profit focused on tackling the root causes of poverty in Nigeria and Africa through interventions and social impact programmes across five critical sectors, namely climate action, health, education and youth development, gender equality and empowerment, and food security. The Foundation’s programmes adopt a central theme of prioritizing partnerships to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For more information, visit http://www.onefoundation.ng.

The United Nations System (UNS) in Nigeria, consisting of 19 resident and 4 non-resident entities, has had a productive engagement with the Federal Republic of Nigeria since its independence and has been a catalytic supporter of and trusted partner in its development aspirations. Learn more about the United Nations in Nigeria.