Vice President Kashim Shettima will on Wednesday launch a fresh learning and empowerment fund targeted at unlocking the potential of Nigerian children, women and youth, as Nigeria co-hosts a high-level policy engagement under the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) in Abuja.
The event, scheduled for the State House Conference Centre, is being convened by the Office of the Vice President in collaboration with Sterling One Foundation, the United Nations System, and other ASIS partners.
The initiative forms part of the outcomes of the ASIS 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement, a continental platform focused on accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through innovation, financing and strategic partnerships.
With the theme, “Scaling Action – Driving Inclusive Growth through Policy and Innovation,” the high-level engagement is expected to bring together more than 200 senior leaders from government, private enterprise, development institutions, civil society organisations and the diplomatic community.
Key highlights of the engagement include the launch of flagship, policy-backed initiatives, notably the Business Coalition for Education (BCE) and the Nigeria Foundational Learning Fund.
According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, the initiatives are designed to accelerate foundational literacy and numeracy while tackling Nigeria’s out-of-school children challenge.
Also to be unveiled is the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI) Nigeria platform, described as the country’s flagship framework for advancing women and youth economic empowerment through compact-based delivery, co-investment models and performance accountability.
With the launch, Nigeria will become the implementation platform for the African Union’s WYFEI programme, ahead of its rollout in other countries.
Speaking ahead of the event, Vice President Shettima said Nigeria’s prosperity would depend largely on how effectively government mobilises funding, expertise and support across public and private sectors.
Nigeria’s future prosperity depends on how effectively we mobilise the private sector, development partners, and public institutions around shared national priorities. This engagement marks a critical step toward delivery-driven partnerships that unlock the full potential of our women and youth, strengthen human capital, and accelerate inclusive growth,” the Vice President said.
On her part, Mrs. Olapeju Ibekwe, Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, described the ASIS 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement as a shift from dialogue to execution, noting that it would deliberately align policy, innovation and financing to deliver real impact for millions of Nigerians.
The event will also feature the adoption of the WYFEI Nigeria Declaration, a national statement of intent to be endorsed by government officials, chief executives and development partners, committing to coordinated action to unlock Nigeria’s women and youth dividend.
Senior government officials, business leaders, investors, development partners and civil society actors are expected in Abuja for the engagement, aimed at advancing results-driven partnerships for inclusive growth, foundational learning, women and youth empowerment, and national development delivery.
