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.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice-President, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, on Monday said the launch would hold on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
According to the statement, the initiative is being convened by the Office of the Vice-President in collaboration with Sterling One Foundation, the United Nations System and other partners of the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS).
It said the programme would form part of the outcomes of the ASIS 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement, a platform designed to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through innovation, financing and strategic partnerships.
The statement explained that the high-level engagement, themed “Scaling Action – Driving Inclusive Growth through Policy and Innovation,” would attract more than 200 senior leaders from government, private sector, development institutions, civil society and the diplomatic community.
It added that key highlights include the launch of flagship, policy-backed initiatives such as the Business Coalition for Education and the Nigeria Foundational Learning Fund, aimed at improving literacy, numeracy and addressing the challenge of out-of-school children.
Also to be launched is the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI) Nigeria platform, described as the country’s flagship initiative for advancing women and youth economic empowerment through co-investment and accountability frameworks.
The statement noted that Nigeria would serve as the implementation platform for the African Union’s WYFEI programme, with plans to extend it to other African countries.
Speaking ahead of the event, Shettima said Nigeria’s future prosperity depends on effective mobilisation of public and private sector actors around shared national priorities.
“Nigeria’s future prosperity depends on how effectively we mobilise the private sector, development partners and public institutions around shared national priorities,” the Vice-President was quoted as saying.
He said the engagement marked a critical step toward delivery-driven partnerships that would strengthen human capital and accelerate inclusive growth.
Also quoted in the statement, the Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, Mrs Olapeju Ibekwe, said the ASIS 2026 engagement represents a shift from dialogue to execution.
She said the meeting would align policy, innovation and financing frameworks to deliver scalable solutions with real impact, while positioning Nigeria as a leader in Africa’s sustainable growth agenda.
The statement added that the event would feature the adoption of the WYFEI Nigeria Declaration, committing stakeholders to coordinated action on women and youth empowerment, foundational learning and inclusive national development.
