SDGs: Lagos, UN, Sterling One partners on Africa Social Impact Summit
Ayodele Olalere
Lagos State government in partnership with Sterling One Foundation and United Nations is set to hold the Africa Social Impact Summit, themed: “Reimagining Progress: A New Blueprint for Sustainable Growth in Africa.
The Summit which would be hosted by Lagos State is based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) with focus on how to tackle lack of progress on key areas of SDG’s targets such as poverty, gender equality, hunger and climate.
It would also serve as a global platform for effective collaboration among stakeholders in facilitating an all-inclusive achievement of the SDG 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063 with priority focus on education, circular economy, health, climate solutions, and food security.
While speaking on the summit, Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem said there is a need to mobilise people and organisations as critical partners towards achieving the transformation and multifaceted solutions required to address the challenge facing SDGs.
She added that with Africa projected to be home to over 50 percent of the world’s poorest people by 2030, Nigeria and other African countries require massive investment to tackle the issue.
“The Summit thus aims to usher in an ambitious action to deliver these goals leveraging multi-faceted partnerships, because the global goals are our best hope for people, for the planet, for prosperity, for peace and for partnerships,” she noted.
She further said the Summit, which is the third edition, is scheduled to hold July 25 to 26 2024 at the EKO Hotels & Suites.
The Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe, said the summit would provide opportunities to the private sector to proffer solutions and accelerate impactful investment into Africa, towards the achievement of the SDGs 2030.
She added that since its launch in 2022, the summit has attracted interest from over 8,000 leaders from 66 countries of the world, and had hosted about 3,000 of them as physical and virtual attendees, noting that hosting the summit in Lagos is of immense significance to the people, planet, and businesses in Africa.
