2023 Africa Social Impact Summit to focus on collaborative solutions to Africa’s developmental challenges

The second edition of the Africa Social Impact Summit will hold on August 10-11, 2023 with a focus on new strategies and solutions to lead a new economic future for the continent.

From August 10-11, 2023, the Eko Convention Center in Lagos will play host to business, policy, investment, and sustainability leaders at the second edition of the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) themed “Global Vision, Local Action: Repositioning The African Development Ecosystem For Sustainable Outcomes”. The event, co-convened by the Sterling One Foundation and the United Nations Nigeria, brings together all players in the African development space to share ideas, learnings, and plans to ensure the holistic achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and the African Union 2063 Agenda.

Speaking at a press conference at the Sterling Towers, Marina, Lagos held last Thursday, the CEO of Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe stated the Africa Social Impact Summit was conceived to address Africa’s developmental challenges in order to shape a better continent for the coming generation.

“The African continent needs every impact resource and every player focused on how we can move from just potential and that is what each of us here has committed to, and I can’t express just how excited I am to see the number of partners we have brought to the table from what we had last year; this shows that the message of sustainable development is resonating,” Ibekwe said.

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale noted the event was timely and relevant considering the recent global events that have threatened the implementation of the SDGs such as the aftermath of the pandemic and the ongoing Ukraine war. He further stressed the need for the private sector to move beyond corporate social responsibility (CSR) and integrate sustainability into their business models.

“We want to see all stakeholders, especially those in the private sector, use the Africa Social Impact Summit as an opportunity to contribute to formulating both at the global and national levels a rescue plan for the SDGs,” he added.

On his part, the Managing Director/CEO of Sterling Bank, Abubakar Suleiman said the sectors highlighted for this year’s event—climate solutions, circular economy, agriculture, renewable energy, education, health, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)—were carefully selected because they reflect the human concentration that requires sustainable impacts. “We believe that by continuing to host such summits in the future, we can build a powerful network that will be difficult for any challenge to withstand. Together, we can make a significant and lasting difference in Africa’s social impact landscape,” he stated.