Ahead of the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) 2025 set for July 10–11 in Lagos, the Sterling One Foundation and the United Nations in Nigeria held a high-level press briefing at the UN House in Abuja.
The briefing gathered development partners, policymakers, and the media to set expectations for the summit and discuss Africa’s role in addressing global challenges with local solutions.
Since its inception in 2022, ASIS has grown from eight founding partners to over 40 institutions working in climate, healthcare, education, finance, governance, and digital inclusion. This shows that African organisations are now shaping their own agenda rather than waiting for external direction.
The 2025 summit, themed “Scaling Action for the SDGs: Bold Solutions for Climate Resilience and Policy Innovation,” will focus on strengthening development at the grassroots, rethinking finance flows, and addressing structural inequalities through long-term investments and reforms.
Speaking at the briefing, Mohamed M. Malick Fall, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, highlighted the urgency of the summit:
“The climate crisis is eroding decades of progress in Africa. But solutions must come from those experiencing these challenges daily. ASIS provides a platform for African institutions to lead while global partners respond with investment, policy reforms, and true commitment.”
Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation, said:
“ASIS is not just about gathering people. Each summit drives capital mobilisation and policy shifts to advance African-led solutions. So far, over 100 million dollars has been unlocked through coalition efforts, showing what true partnership can achieve.”
Sterling Bank’s MD/CEO, Abubakar Suleiman, also noted:
“As global development funding shrinks, the private sector must drive scalable solutions. Impact is core to building resilient economies and inclusive growth.”
Other partners stressed the need for bold cross-sector investments in health, youth employment, education, and digital infrastructure.
The coalition of over 40 partners includes Afreximbank, Coca-Cola, United Nations Global Compact Network Nigeria, Sterling Bank, and others, with Lagos State as host.
Interested participants can register at theimpactsummit.org.
