In a major move to accelerate inclusive growth and national development delivery, the Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in partnership with Sterling One Foundation, the United Nations System, and key Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) partners, will co-host the ASIS 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
The high-level convening will bring together senior government officials, private sector leaders, development partners, investors, civil society actors, and members of the diplomatic community to advance results-driven partnerships focused on education, jobs and skills, women and youth empowerment, financial inclusion, health, entrepreneurship, and institutional strengthening.
Co-hosted by the Presidency and Sterling One Foundation, the engagement is designed as a national platform to translate continental commitments into practical, country-level action, aligning policy reform, private sector mobilisation, and development finance around Nigeria’s most pressing priorities.
Themed “Scaling Action – Driving Inclusive Growth through Policy and Innovation,” the engagement will convene over 200 senior leaders across sectors at a critical moment, with just five years remaining to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Discussions will focus on accelerating implementation, unlocking innovative and blended financing, and advancing policy reforms that deliver measurable impact.
Now in its fifth year, the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) has emerged as Africa’s leading private sector–led platform for mobilising public-private collaboration to advance the SDGs. Co-convened by Sterling One Foundation and the United Nations, ASIS has consistently elevated the role of policy innovation, partnerships, and impact financing in tackling Africa’s most urgent social and economic challenges.
Building on insights and communiqués from previous editions, the ASIS 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement will focus on embedding ASIS commitments into Nigeria’s policy ecosystem, translating recommendations into actionable national policies and financing frameworks, and mobilising capital toward priority SDG outcomes.
Key highlights of the engagement include the launch of flagship, policy-backed initiatives such as the Business Coalition for Education (BCE) and the Nigeria Foundational Learning Fund, both aimed at accelerating foundational literacy and numeracy while addressing Nigeria’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 economic empowerment through compact-based delivery, co-investment frameworks, and performance accountability. WYFEI Nigeria will serve as the national implementation platform for the African Union WYFEI programme.
Speaking ahead of the engagement, the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 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.”
Also commenting, Mrs. Olapeju Ibekwe, Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, described the engagement as a turning point from dialogue to execution.
“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.”
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 national action focused on inclusive growth, shared prosperity, and long-term resilience.
The convening forms part of the post–Africa Social Impact Summit national action series, designed to move beyond dialogue toward systems reform, capital mobilisation, and measurable impact across Africa’s largest economy.
About the Co-Conveners
The Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS), co-convened by Sterling One Foundation and the United Nations, is a premier platform for accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals through innovation, financing, and partnerships. Since 2022, ASIS has convened leaders across sectors to co-create actionable solutions for sustainable development in Africa.
Sterling One Foundation (SOF) is a registered non-profit organisation focused on addressing the root causes of poverty in Nigeria and across Africa through programmes in health, education, climate action, and food security, with gender equality and women’s empowerment integrated as a cross-cutting priority.