Shettima to Launch Fresh Women, Youth, Children Learning, Empowerment Fund Tomorrow

• As Nigeria co-hosts Africa social impact summit, policy engagement in Abuja

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

Vice President Kashim Shettima is to launch a fresh learning fund and empowerment platform targeted at unlocking the potential of Nigerian children, women, and youth.

The event, according to a release issued on Monday by Media Assistant to the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, will hold on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

This initiative, convened by the Office of the Vice President in collaboration with Sterling One Foundation, the United Nations System, and other ASIS partners, will form part of the outcomes of the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement.

ASIS is a premier platform for accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through innovation, financing, and partnerships.

The high-level engagement with the theme, “Scaling Action – Driving Inclusive Growth through Policy and Innovation,” will bring together over 200 senior leaders from government, private enterprise, development institutions, civil society, 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, designed to accelerate foundational literacy and numeracy, while addressing the country’s out-of-school children challenge.

Also to be launched on Wednesday is the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI) Nigeria, the country’s flagship platform for advancing women and youth economic empowerment through compact-based delivery, co-investment frameworks, and performance accountability.

This will make Nigeria the implementation platform of the African Union’s WYFEI programme which will also be launched in other countries after Nigeria.

Speaking ahead of the engagement, the Vice President noted that Nigeria is poised for a prosperity-filled future through the government’s sustained and effective mobilisation of funding, support, and expertise, both internationally and locally.

“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,” he said.

On her part, CEO of Sterling One Foundation, Mrs Olapeju Ibekwe explained that the ASIS 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement represents a pivotal shift from conversation to national execution.

According to her, the high-level meeting will deliberately align policy, innovation, financing, and frameworks that enable solutions to scale—delivering real impact for millions of Nigerians, while positioning Nigeria as a leader in Africa’s sustainable growth agenda.

The event will also feature the adoption of the WYFEI Nigeria Declaration, a national statement of intent to be endorsed by government officials, CEOs, and development partners, committing to coordinated action to unlock Nigeria’s women and youth dividend.

Senior government officials, chief executives, development partners, investors, and civil society organisations will converge on Abuja to advance results-driven partnerships for inclusive growth, foundational learning, women and youth empowerment, and national development delivery for Nigeria.