Sterling One Foundation and the United nations, Nigeria, has announced the convening of the 2024 Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS), 2024 at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria island, Lagos.
The Chief Executive Officer, Sterling One Foundation, Mrs Olapeju Ibekwe, said in a statement that “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,” Ibekwe said.
Ibekwe noted that the foundation is pleased to announce that over 40 per cent of 2023 ASIS participants received various levels of investment.
“One significant example is the MTN Foundation’s investment of over 3 billion Naira to support primary healthcare centers across the country in partnership with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria.
“This year, we will host an investors roundtable on July 24 at the Eko Convention Centre as a pre-event engagement before the summit on July 25 and 26.
“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,” Ibekwe said.
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Assistant Secretary – General Mohammed Malik Fall, highlighted the urgency of the summit’s goals.
“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 in such a way that no single sector or entity can meet these goals alone.
Fall said that the theme of the 2024 summit, ‘Reimagining Progress: A New Blueprint for Sustainable Growth in Africa,’ resonates deeply with the UN.
He added that the theme prompted the UN to support and partner with the Sterling One Foundation in co-convening ASIS 2024.
Mr Abubakar Sulieman, MD/CEO of Sterling Bank and member of the Board of Trustees for Sterling One Foundation, expressed confidence in the summit’s collaborative potential.
“As I walked into this room, I realized that our collective effort can 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,” Suleiman said.
He noted that the Africa Social Impact Summit 2024 is crucial for sustainable growth across the continent.
according to him, the summit 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,” Suleiman said.
Present at the press conference were Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO, Sterling One Foundation and Mohammed M. Malick Fall, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, United Nations in Nigeria.
Others included; Abubakar Sulieman, MD/CEO, Sterling Bank and Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director, MTN Foundation.
Also at the conference were Hauwa Adeeyo, Senior Special Assistant to the LASG on Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investments, and Dr. Mories Atoki, CEO, ABC Health, among other key stakeholders and partners.
The statement said that registrations are currently ongoing for the ASIS summit, which will take place on July 25th and 26th at Eko Hotels.
It added that entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and representatives from the private and public sectors are encouraged to participate and contribute to shaping a sustainable future for Africa.
