Lagos, Nigeria – The fourth Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS 4.0), co-hosted by Sterling One Foundation and the United Nations in Nigeria, convened over 2,500 delegates in Lagos with a clear mission: accelerate Africa’s growth through bold, practical solutions.
The summit gathered policymakers, impact investors, civil society leaders, and youth advocates to co-create scalable, African-led responses to the continent’s critical challenges, all aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Under the theme “Scaling Action: Bold Solutions for Climate Resilience and Policy Innovation,” ASIS 4.0 focused on actionable discussions to deliver real outcomes.
Key stakeholders including the African Union Commission, GIZ, Afreximbank, the British Council, and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning pledged to deepen partnerships and investments towards inclusive, people-focused development across Africa.
“From eight institutions at inception to over 60 partners today, this growth is about shared ownership,” said Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation, in her opening remarks. “We achieve bold solutions when we scale action with the right execution and alliances.” She outlined ASIS’s agenda of fostering multi-level partnerships, scaling investments, and enhancing policy engagement.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed delivered a stark keynote, highlighting Africa’s economic headwinds, rising debt burdens, and intensifying climate shocks. She noted that over three billion people globally now live in countries that spend more servicing debt than on health and education combined. Calling for urgent global financial reforms and equitable climate financing, she unveiled the Mission 300 initiative to connect 300 million Africans to clean, affordable energy.
“We cannot afford to slow down,” she said. “Africa’s future must be built on deliberate, values-driven action that centres people, not promises.”
Abubakar Suleiman, Sterling Bank MD/CEO and a strategic partner of the summit, echoed this call: “When we say bold, we mean deliberate, practical steps rooted in purpose and partnerships. African solutions thrive best through African collaboration.”
Throughout plenaries, deal rooms, and breakout sessions, stakeholders tackled priorities such as education access, healthcare delivery, food systems innovation, climate resilience, and development financing. A notable highlight was the Lagos Investment Pre-Summit, co-hosted with the Lagos State Government, which drove sub-national engagement with global investors.
Dr. Tobias Thiel, Director at GIZ–African Union, urged greater integration of women and youth into climate policy frameworks, reaffirming GIZ’s commitment to supporting governments, businesses, and civil society. “The challenges are dire but present opportunities to rethink and drive solutions. ASIS is vital for these dialogues. It’s not just about technology and finance; it’s about people,” he said.
Prudence Ngwenya, Director of Women, Gender, and Youth at the African Union Commission, emphasised that systemic challenges cannot be tackled in silos, calling for stronger public-private collaboration to advance inclusive growth, prosperity, and financial inclusion.
Elsie Attafuah, UNDP Nigeria Resident Representative, representing the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, stressed the importance of political will and long-term financing. “Acknowledging the gaps is not enough; we must meet them with capital, policy, and scale,” she stated.
As ASIS 4.0 concluded, its diverse participation and unified resolve underscored the summit’s status as Africa’s leading platform for social impact. With just five years remaining to achieve the SDGs, the summit continues to shift the continent’s development narrative from commitment to execution and from ambition to measurable progress.
About the Co-Conveners
Sterling One Foundation (SOF) is a registered non-profit organisation addressing poverty’s root causes across health, education, climate action, and food security sectors in Nigeria and Africa. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are integrated across all programmes, with partnerships central to achieving the SDGs. Visit onefoundation.ng for more.
The United Nations System (UNS) in Nigeria, comprising 19 resident and 4 non-resident entities, has been a catalytic development partner since Nigeria’s independence. Learn more at un.org.ng.
Chiwendu Isaiah
Public Relations, Sterling One Foundation
