Economy
NO fewer than 5000 participants across Africa are expected to participate in the third edition of the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS), which will be hosted by Lagos State.
Lagos State will partner with Sterling Bank, United Nations and MTN Nigeria, to host the third edition, scheduled for between July 25 and July 26, at Eko Hotel and Suites Victoria Island, Lagos.
Mrs Folasade Ambrose-Medebem, the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives Trade and Investment, said this at a press briefing held at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sterling One Foundation is co-convening the summit for inclusive development, which provides an opportunity for developing market-led solutions to Africa’s social challenges.
According to the Commissioner, the summit is co-convened by the Sterling One Foundation and United Nations, to bring together all key players across sectors to share knowledge, discuss evidence based insights, and draw up action plan to achieve Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG).
“It is with great pride and deep sense of responsibility that we all come before you today to formally announce the organisation of the prestigious Africa Social Impact summit, holding right here in Lagos State.
“I am delighted to welcome no fewer than 5000 participants to Lagos, a city vibrant with diversity, innovation, and ambition. Let me also welcome and appreciate our partners, ably led by Sterling One Foundation and the United Nations Nigeria,” she said.
Ambrose-Medebem explained that Africa had peculiar challenges, which erode the possibility of Africans living their lives to the fullest.
“Permit me to provide contextual background of the issues and challenges that necessitated the organisation of the programme.
“According to the UN progress report on SDG special edition 2023, more than half of the world are being left behind.
“Progress on more than 50 per cent of targets of the SDGs is weak and insufficient and it has stalled or gone into reverse on 30 per cent.
“These include key targets on poverty, gender equality, hunger and climate,” she said.
NAN reports that the third edition of the summit is themed “Reimagining Progress: A New Blueprint for Sustainable Growth in Africa”.
The Commissioner said that the essence of the sumit was to find practical solutions towards addressing Africa’s challenges.
“To reverse this narrative, we need to mobilise people and organisations as critical partners towards achieving the transformation and multifaceted solutions required to address the challenge.
“Transformational partnerships needs multiple actors to bring together essential complementary resources, especially knowledge and data sharing, when combined, can create the levers required to transform systems from an unsustainable, undesirable state, to a more sustainable, progressive state.
” In Africa, and by extension, Nigeria, it will require significant investment as the World Bank had already projected that Africa will be home to over 50 percent of the world’s poorest people by 2030.
“This calls for concerted efforts and a clear roadmap to facilitating these investments and achieving the SDGs leveraging alliances.
“Therefore, is to serve as a global platform for effective collaboration and alignment by critical players in Africa’s social development sector, including state and non-state actors,” she said.
Ambrose-Medebem listed other sponsors on board with the 2024 edition as the United Nations Global Compact Network Nigeria, Coca-Cola Nigeria and Microsoft.
In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, Mrs Olapeju Ibekwe, said the organisation was proud to associate with ASIS summit.
“The UN’s SDGs by 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063 with priority focus on education, circular economy, health, climate solutions, food security and WASH, which form the key thematic areas for discussion.
“With less than six years to go, there is need to reshape ASIS for more strategic outcomes, by strengthening the means of implementation and building a cross-sectoral coalition and multi stakeholder approach.
” So we can accelerate the attainment of the goals through enterprise driven solutions and innovative impact ecosystems.
“The Summit thus aims to usher in an ambitious action to deliver these goals leveraging multi-faceted partnerships, because of the global goals,” she said.(NAN)
Photo Caption From left, Manager, Impact Reporting, MTN Foundation, Mr Edward Fagbohun; Chief Executive Officer, Sterling One Foundation/Convener Africa Social Impact Summit, Mrs Olapeju Ibekwe and Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperative, Trade & Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem during a news Conference on the Africa Social Impact Summit in Lagos on Friday (24/05/24)
F.A
May 24, 2024
Tags: Africa Social Impact Summit Sterling One Foundation
