Global leaders, investors, policymakers, and innovators will gather in Lagos on July 22–23, 2026, for the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS), a platform designed to mobilise capital and partnerships for sustainable development across the continent. Convened by the Sterling One Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations in Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, the summit has emerged as one of Africa’s leading platforms for advancing market-led solutions to the continent’s most pressing development challenges.
The 2026 edition, themed “Financing for Development: Building Resilience and Transforming Emerging Economies,” will take place at the Eko Convention Center in Lagos. The summit comes at a critical juncture as Africa enters one of its most consequential decades. By 2050, the continent is expected to be home to more than 2.5 billion people, including the world’s largest youth workforce, presenting unprecedented opportunities for innovation, investment, and sustainable economic growth.
Speaking ahead of the summit, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria Mohamed Malick Fall emphasised the importance of collective action in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. He noted that ASIS provides a powerful platform for bringing together governments, the private sector, and development partners to accelerate progress, mobilising capital, innovation, and partnerships to unlock transformative solutions for inclusive and sustainable development.
Abubakar Suleiman, Board Member of Sterling One Foundation and Managing Director of Sterling Bank, stated that collaboration across sectors would be essential to unlocking Africa’s potential, describing the continent’s development challenges as complex but also presenting immense opportunities for innovation and partnership. Nigeria’s Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, welcomed platforms that bring together global capital, innovation, and policy dialogue, noting that strengthening collaboration between government, investors, and development partners is critical to accelerating economic growth.
The summit is expected to attract over 2,000 delegates from more than 50 countries, including senior government officials, global investors, development finance institutions, corporate leaders, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and civil society organisations. Key focus sectors include education, healthcare, food systems, women empowerment, youth development, the creative economy, and sustainable finance.
