Editor
The Africa Social Impact Summit, 3.0, 2024 edition, has underscored the need for cross sector collaboration, innovation and strong leadership in driving sustainable development in Africa.
This was the views of stakeholders who attended the event in Lagos.
ASIS 2024 was co-convened by Sterling One Foundation and the United Nations, Nigeria.
The call to action was made during the summit, aimed at fostering dialogue and collaboration on sustainable development across Africa.
The summit commenced with an Investor Roundtable on July 24, hosted by the Lagos State Government in collaboration with the Sterling One Foundation, Alitheia Capital, and ETK Group.
This pre-summit event br ought together stakeholders and investors to explore sustainable investment opportunities in Lagos State.
Attendees at the roundtable included Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Executive Governor of Lagos State; Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor of Lagos State and Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade & Investment, Lagos State.
Others included Professor Akin Abayomi, Commissioner of Health, Lagos State; Abubakar Suleiman, MD/CEO of Sterling Bank and Board Member of the Sterling One Foundation; and Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of the Sterling One Foundation, among other key figures.
Day 1 featured a series of panel discussions addressing some of Africa’s most pressing challenges, including investment, education, healthcare, and climate action.
These sessions focused on innovative solutions and strategies for sustainable development.
The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, highlighted private sector’s role in achieving SDGs at ASIS 2024
Mohammed emphasized the pivotal role of the private sector in driving sustainable growth, particularly in climate resilience and technological innovations.
“Sustainable growth must include climate resilience, leveraging technology, and private sector innovations..
“Let us recommit ourselves to the 2030 agenda that is inclusive, impactful, and inspiring,” Mohammed said.
Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of the Sterling One Foundation, underscored the importance of partnerships in tackling these challenges.
She said: “At the Africa Social Impact Summit, we recognize that no single entity can address the multifaceted challenges we face.
“It is through partnerships that we can harness diverse expertise and resources to tackle issues ranging from healthcare to education, and from economic growth to climate resilience.
“Our collective efforts can ignite significant change, turning ideas into impactful actions.”
Abubakar Suleiman, CEO of Sterling Bank, emphasized the necessity of creating an enabling environment for social impact.
He said, “Creating a market for social impact means ensuring there is information, trust, and efficient allocation of resources.
“ I look forward to us signing deals and, beyond today, I encourage everyone to join a community that fosters year-long dialogue and action.
“Together, we will drive the conversations necessary for sustained impact.”
Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, highlighted the critical role of the summit in driving sustainable development in Lagos and across Africa.
He explained that the Lagos State “THEMES PLUS” programme was designed to foster growth and resilience across key sectors.
“ASIS 2024 must serve as a catalyst for collaboration and action towards sustainable development in Africa.
“ Public-private partnerships are essential for attracting impactful investments, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, education, agriculture, clean energy, and social enterprises.
“The involvement of all stakeholders is crucial in developing effective and inclusive policies.
“Moreover, leveraging technology to create locally-relevant solutions is key,” Hamzat remarked.
“The second day of the summit, held on July 26 at the Eko Convention Centre, was marked by the “Bold Actions Meeting,” an important session championed by ABC Health.
The meeting aimed to secure the commitment of key stakeholders across sub-national governments and the private sector to accelerate progress towards specific SDGs in the health sector.
The session featured participation from 15 Commissioners of Health from various Nigerian states, highlighting the importance of coordinated action in healthcare.
Mories Atoki, CEO of ABC Health, spoke on the critical need to depoliticize healthcare partnerships for effective collaboration.
She said, “The politicization of some of these partnerships is the ugly problem to be tackled.”
Zouera Yousouffou, CEO of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, emphasized the urgent need for adequate funding and structural reforms within the healthcare sector
. She stated, “Africa lacks the adequate funding and structure to effectively tackle issues in the health sector.
“ Our focus should shift from rediagnosing already known challenges to think concretely on the next line of action.”
Dr. Tayo Aduloju, CEO of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), emphasized the need to move beyond rhetoric and deliver tangible results.
He noted, “While partnerships and civil societies are crucial, we need to move beyond rhetoric and deliver tangible results.
Other types of impact capital will be more effective where funding is generally inadequate.”
Prof. Akin Abayomi, Commissioner of Health for Lagos State, stressed the role of education and moral leadership in society.
Abayomi said: “To restructure society around leadership, three things come into play:
“Example, Educate, and Environment. Leaders don’t just happen; they are made through education and training.”
In addition to the Bold Actions Meeting, the summit featured various sessions addressing key issues.
The “Displaced Persons Conversations” panel, moderated by H.E. Mrs. Toyin Saraki, Founder of Wellbeing Foundation Africa.
The panel focused on job creation and economic empowerment for displaced persons.
Panelists included Mr. Arjun Jain, UNHCR Nigeria Representative; Mr. Farouk Gumel, Vice Chairman of TGI Group & Chairman of Union Bank.
Others included Ms. Ojong Annette Nkongho, a Cameroonian refugee; and Mr. Abubakar Suleiman, MD of Sterling Bank.
Discussions explored strategies for integrating displaced individuals into the workforce and promoting inclusive economic opportunities.
Additional sessions covered topics such as talent attraction, governance, and leadership, examining the frameworks and policies needed to support sustainable development.
These discussions highlighted the importance of ethical leadership and transparent governance in achieving long-term progress.
The summit concluded with a strong call to action, urging all participants to build on the insights gained and continue fostering partnerships for sustainable impact.
In her closing remarks, Olapeju Ibekwe expressed gratitude to all attendees and partners for their engagement and contributions.
Ibekwe urged them to “foster partnerships, scale investments, and maintain focus on social impact.”
The Africa Social Impact Summit 2024 underscored the necessity of cross-sector collaboration, innovation, and leadership in driving sustainable development.
The event ended with a strong commitment from all participants to work towards achieving significant social impact across Africa.
