Sterling One, others drive N3bn social investments
Sterling One Foundation, in partnership with the Coca-Cola Company Nigeria, Sterling Bank Limited, and the United Nations Global Compact Network Nigeria, has reiterated its commitment to driving social impact across Africa by co-hosting the Africa Social Impact Summit for the third consecutive year.
The 2024 summit brought together over 2,000 development leaders and professionals, facilitating investments worth over N3bn.
In a statement made available to our correspondent on Sunday, the foundation noted that this year’s summit alone unlocked over $1m for impactful initiatives, further cementing its role as a catalyst for sustainable development.
The Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe, said, “ASIS was created to address the challenges faced by the African continent, including setbacks from COVID-19, in achieving the SDGs. Our focus has been on leveraging partnerships to make significant progress. We are fortunate to have partners who share this vision and have been on board from the beginning.
“The dedication of our partners has been instrumental in making this summit a success. By fostering collaboration and driving investments, we are helping to create real, lasting impact across critical sectors.”
According to the foundation, the summit has attracted insights from over 120 global experts, with the focus areas of the summit, including climate action and women’s empowerment, both of which are priority areas for its partners.
The Senior Director of Public Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability at Coca-Cola Nigeria, Amaka Onyemelukwe, highlighted the importance of partnerships in achieving the summit’s objectives.
She expounded, “Partnerships have always been central to our strategy at Coca-Cola, and ASIS aligns perfectly with our vision. The summit’s ability to move ideas from discussion to actionable outcomes is critical for the development ecosystem in Africa. We are proud to support this initiative.”
The foundation disclosed that this year’s edition also featured an investors’ roundtable hosted by the Lagos State Government and a deal room session, where two tech startups, ArtisanOga and PressPay, signed deals worth $200,000.