Vice President Kashim Shettima is set to launch a new learning and empowerment fund aimed at unlocking the potential of Nigerian children, women and youth, as Nigeria co-hosts the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) 2026.

The launch will take place on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, as part of the ASIS 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement.

The initiative is convened by the Office of the Vice President in partnership with Sterling One Foundation, the United Nations system and other ASIS partners, and is designed to strengthen human capital development through learning, financial inclusion and empowerment.

ASIS is a continental platform focused on accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through innovation, financing and multi-sector partnerships.

This year’s high-level policy engagement, themed “Scaling Action – Driving Inclusive Growth through Policy and Innovation,” will convene more than 200 senior leaders from government, the private sector, development institutions, civil society and the diplomatic community.

Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communication, in a statement on Monday, explained that key highlights of the engagement include the launch of several flagship, policy-backed initiatives, notably the Business Coalition for Education (BCE) and the Nigeria Foundational Learning Fund, both aimed at accelerating foundational literacy and numeracy while addressing Nigeria’s out-of-school children challenge.

Also scheduled for launch is the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI) Nigeria platform, the country’s flagship framework for advancing women and youth economic empowerment through compact-based delivery, co-investment structures and performance accountability.

With the launch of WYFEI Nigeria, the country becomes the first implementation platform for the African Union’s WYFEI programme, which is expected to be rolled out in other African countries subsequently.

Speaking ahead of the engagement, Vice President Shettima said Nigeria’s long-term prosperity would be driven by the government’s ability to mobilise funding, expertise and partnerships 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,” he said.

On her part, Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe, described the ASIS 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement as a shift from dialogue to action.

She said the meeting would deliberately align policy, innovation, financing and delivery frameworks to enable scalable solutions capable of delivering measurable 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, chief executives and development partners, committing stakeholders to coordinated action to unlock Nigeria’s women and youth dividend.

Senior government officials, business leaders, investors, development partners and civil society organisations 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.