5,000 Participants Expected as Lagos, UN, Foundation Partner for Africa Social Impact Summit

The Lagos State Government, United Nations (UN) Nigeria and Sterling One Foundation have concluded arrangements to host the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS), 2024, during which at least 5,000 participants are expected to attend.

Themed: “Reimagining Progress”, the organisers said the event that will bring together many development and sustainability leaders from across the continent to accelerate progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem,  disclosed this at a press conference on the ASIS held at Alausa, Ikeja, at the weekend.

She noted that Lagos would collaborate with Sterling One Foundation, the UN Nigeria, and other notable organisations to achieve transformation and multifaceted solutions to address challenges.

She said: “According to the UN Progress Report on Sustainable Development Goals, Special Edition 2023, more than half of the world is left behind. Progress on more than 50 per cent of the targets of the SDGs is weak and insufficient.

“We need to reverse this narrative, we need to mobilise people and organisations as critical partners towards achieving transformation.”

She noted that ASIS, slated for July 25-26, 2024, at Eko Hotel, Lagos, will serve as a global platform for effective collaboration and alignment by critical players in Africa’s social development sector as the theme implies.

Ambrose-Medebem added that the summit would review transformative recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the decade of action for accelerating the implementation of the SDGs and progress at the midpoint to the deadline for the 2030 agenda.

The commissioner further stated that there would be a social enterprise forum where business leaders, whose businesses are focused on social impact in thematic sectors, could pitch innovative solutions to potential investors and access funding to drive scale and accelerate impact.

“There will also be a tour of Lagos State’s notable investment destinations and tourist attractions hosted by the Lagos State government and an event round off networking dinner at the Eko Atlantic City.

“At the end of the summit, some of the expected outcomes include building result-oriented and innovative global and regional partnerships to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs,” Ambrose-Medebem stated.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, Sterling One Foundation, and Convener, ASIS, Olapeju Ibekwe, indicated that the summit had attracted interest from over 8,000 development and sustainability leaders from across 66 countries since its launch in 2022.

She added that ASIS seeks to host impact investors and investees with a focus on education and youth development, food security, climate solutions, healthcare, renewable energy,  the transition to a circular economy, among others.