The United Nations (UN) in Nigeria, led by the Resident Coordinator, Assistant Secretary-General Mohamed M. Malick Fall has committed to galvanizing the private sector for stronger partnerships and more impactful investments towards acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is part of the goals of its partnership with the Sterling One Foundation, geared towards building more effective multi-sectoral partnerships on impact investments in critical sectors through the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS).
Last year, the UN and Sterling One Foundation co-convened the Summit with the support of various stakeholders working towards sustainable development. Since then, the UN Country Team (UNCT) has focused on using the platform to emphasize the role of partnerships in driving SDGs towards agenda 2030. Mr. Mohamed Fall described such partnerships as important in galvanizing coordinated social impact support by the private sector, which is essential for rescuing the SDGs in Nigeria. “What the UN System offers to such partnerships is coordinated and complementary efforts to assist the most vulnerable households and ensure no one is left behind,” he added.
Sharing her thoughts on what to expect from a second year of co-convening with the UN, Mrs. Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation highlighted the huge opportunities for including more sectors and investors in this year‘s summit. “What we hope to achieve this year is to build on the momentum we have gained from two years by engaging decision-makers from the private sector and other key sectors to move from commitments to action, as shown in the design of this year’s edition,” she said.
In addition to panel sessions on key issues, ASIS 2024 will feature more sector-specific workshops focusing on SDG progress and solutions for acceleration. The 2024 edition will be held from July 25 – 26, 2024 at the Eko Convention Centre, Lagos, and is open to leaders across the public and private sectors. More details on registration and other parts of the Summit can be found here.
