Afreximbank, Coca-Cola, British Council, AU GIZ & MTN Foundation lead SDG acceleration agenda ahead of 2025 ASIS Summit

Afreximbank, the British Council, AU GIZ and MTN Foundation are among over 50 institutions working through the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) ecosystem to push the boundaries of development finance, digital infrastructure and systems reform.

The 2025 summit, set for July 10 and 11 in Lagos, is co-convened by Sterling One Foundation and the United Nations in Nigeria and will serve as a focal point for coordinated action on sustainable development.

Under the theme Scaling Action: Bold Solutions for Climate Resilience and Policy Innovation, this year’s convening aims to anchor reform in African-led institutional models. Afreximbank is driving dialogue on regional trade and cross-border investment readiness.

The British Council is deepening policy conversations through its FilmLab Africa initiative, with a focus on skills transfer and cultural engagement. AU-GIZ, through the African Union’s partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), is advancing work on inclusive healthcare systems and artificial intelligence as part of multi-sector frameworks for governance and employment.

The MTN Foundation ensures that health, youth development, and national priorities remain central to resilience planning and delivery.

Speaking at a recent press briefing at the United Nations House in Abuja, Mohamed M. Malick Fall, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, noted: “The climate crisis is eroding decades of development across Africa. Displacement, fragile health systems and rising inequality demand responses grounded in African leadership and backed by global commitment.”

Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO, Sterling One Foundation, emphasized the evolution of ASIS into a long-term ecosystem of practice. “We are seeing a shift in how institutions collaborate, less transactional, more strategic. ASIS has grown into a platform where long-term coalitions emerge, grounded in what African stakeholders actually need and lead.”

A pre-summit investor roundtable will be hosted in July by the Sterling One Foundation and the summit’s host city partner, the Lagos State Government. The roundtable will provide a closed-door setting for institutional investors, venture capitalists, fund managers, and public sector actors to examine Africa’s investment model, with a focus on pipeline readiness, blended finance, and institutional coordination.

As conversations deepen on building systems that can absorb shocks and scale solutions, the summit is fast becoming a platform for collective resolve and implementation. The partners driving this process are defining what shared prosperity on the continent should look like.

Stakeholders interested in participating in the summit may register at www.theimpactsummit.org.

About the Co-Conveners

Sterling One Foundation (SOF) is a registered non-profit focused on tackling the root causes of poverty in Nigeria, and Africa through interventions and social impact programmes across three critical sectors namely: health, education and climate action & food security. Gender Equality and women empowerment are integrated as a cross cutting priority across all our programming areas. The Foundation’s programmes adopt a central theme of prioritizing partnerships for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For more information visit onefoundation.ng

The United Nations System (UNS) in Nigeria, comprising 19 resident and 4 non-resident entities, has had a long and productive engagement with the Federal Republic of Nigeria since its independence. The UN has been a catalytic supporter and trusted partner in Nigeria’s development efforts. Learn more about the United Nations in Nigeria at www.un.org.ng.

Ifeoluwa Elegbede

Public Relations, Sterling One Foundation

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