Private sector actors commit to scaling action on SDGs

Sterling One Foundation, in partnership with the United Nations, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning, and British Council Nigeria, has moved to accelerate Africa’s progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The partnership led to the hosting of the Africa Social Impact Summit 2025 Partners Connect, a high-level convening that united private sector leaders, development partners, and policymakers to drive measurable social impact.

Held at the British Council Nigeria office in Ikoyi, Lagos, the event brought together influential changemakers ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, sending a strong signal that the continent’s private sector is ready to step up and co-create solutions for sustainable development.

The distinguished guest list included Thembekile Dube-Ncube, Development Coordination Officer, Partnerships & Development/acting head of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Nigeria; Tunde Aremu, Policy, Research, and Influencing manager, Plan International; Donna McGowan, Country director, British Council Nigeria; and Korede Demola-Adeniyi, executive director, South, The Alternative Bank, alongside other top decision-makers and thought leaders.

Other leading private sector organisations present include MTN, Sahara Group, The Alternative Bank, Woodhall Capital, IHS Towers, Phillips Consulting, Sterling Bank, among others, further demonstrating the private sector’s growing commitment to advancing the SDGs.

According to a statement issued by Chiwendu Isaiah, Public Relations, Sterling One Foundation, the event featured a dynamic program including keynote speeches, reflections from the ASIS 2025 Summit, a private screening of a movie from the Film Lab Africa accelerator by the British Council, and commitment sessions where partners pledged to scale initiatives that deliver real change in communities across Nigeria.

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Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation, underscored the event’s purpose: “ASIS has always been about catalysing impact through collaboration. Partners Connect ensures that the energy from the Summit translates into measurable outcomes that uplift communities and address Africa’s most pressing challenges.”

Speaking on behalf of the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Thembekile Dube-Ncube reinforced the global importance of the gathering:

“Partnerships like this are exactly what Africa needs, coalitions of public, private, and development sector actors working together to deliver solutions at scale. The UN is committed to walking this journey with partners, ensuring no one is left behind.”

Donna McGowan, Country Director of British Council Nigeria, expressed pride in the Council’s role: “The British Council is honored to host this gathering and remains committed to strengthening social impact ecosystems that foster a more inclusive, equitable, and prosperous Africa.”

The event closed with renewed pledges from attendees to scale existing initiatives, forge new partnerships, and return to next year’s summit with evidence of measurable impact, setting the tone for an ambitious year of collaboration and action.

Hope Moses-Ashike

Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.