Agric Summit Africa (ASA), known for its significant contributions to the agriculture sector, proudly announces the forthcoming 5th edition of its annual event. This year’s event, themed “Empowering Innovations: A Confluence of Capital, Vision, and Agribusiness Enterprise,” is set to take place on 8th of November 2023 in Lagos, Nigeria.

The Group Head of Agric and Solid Minerals, Dr Shola Obikanye, commented that, since its maiden edition in 2019, ASA has played a pivotal role in addressing critical issues within Nigeria’s agriculture sector. It has consistently brought together influential figures from various sectors to discuss and explore innovative solutions for the industry’s challenges.

The initiative has rightly earned its place as a cornerstone event for the agriculture sector in sub-Saharan Africa.

He declared that to commemorate its fifth anniversary, ASA has chosen to lead with the kind of innovation and change it has advocated for over the years. “This year the organisers of the ASA will feature an incubator-style investors’ deal room, which, in addition to its insightful discussions, will offer the opportunity for agribusiness entrepreneurs to promote their innovative ideas and receive the necessary funding and business support they need to scale”.

This unique addition provides a platform for promising agro-innovators to present their transformative business solutions to a panel of industry experts, with a chance to secure grants of up to N50 million and financing options totalling up to N1 billion.

The driving force behind ASA AgroPitch 2023 is rooted in ASA’s commitment to financing Nigeria’s agriculture sector and fostering the change needed for advancement. By injecting substantial capital at the SME level, ASA is championing the movement to shape a sustainable agricultural future for Nigeria.

This initiative warmly invites all promising agropreneurs to join this noble endeavour and establish themselves as pioneers of agricultural innovation.

To participate in ASA AgroPitch 2023, interested agribusiness owners can submit their applications through the ASA website at www.agricsummit.org. Follow the two-step application process for an opportunity to grow your agribusiness exponentially.

The Sterling One Foundation and the United Nations Nigeria, co-conveners of the Africa Social Impact Summit 2023, have officially unveiled partners for the second edition of the Africa Social Impact Summit.

The announcement made at a press conference held in Lagos, Nigeria, also featured an official announcement of the 10th and 11th of August 2023 as dates for the event holding at the prestigious Eko Convention Centre.

The Africa Social Impact Summit, now in its second year, is a transformative summit that will bring together thought leaders, impact investors, and stakeholders from diverse sectors to address pressing challenges and design market-led solutions for sustainable outcomes in Africa.

Under the theme “Global Vision, Local Action: Repositioning the African Development Ecosystem for Sustainable Outcomes”, the Summit seeks to reshape Africa’s development landscape by fostering collaboration, innovative thinking, and impactful investment into critical areas such as Climate Solutions, Circular Economy, Agriculture, Renewable Energy, Education, Health, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). The Summit aims to accelerate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and the African Union 2063 Agenda.

Speaking on the co-convening, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale expressed excitement about partnering on the Summit, highlighting the UN’s dedication to working with the private sector and government to implement a cooperation framework for sustainable development. He stressed the need for the private sector to move beyond corporate social responsibility (CSR) and integrate sustainability into their business models.

“We want to see all stakeholders, especially the private sector, use the Africa Social Impact Summit as an opportunity to join hands to formulate a rescue plan for the SDGs,” he explained.

While unveiling the partners for Africa Social Impact Summit 2023, Mrs. Olapeju Ibekwe CEO of the Sterling One Foundation revealed her great admiration for each of the collaborating organizations, stating that they have taken a bold step towards redefining Africa’s future.

In her words, “The African continent needs every impact resource and every player focused on how we can move from just potential and that is what each of us here has committed to, and I can’t express just how excited I am to see the number of partners we have brought to the table from what we had last year; this shows that the message of sustainable development is resonating.”

The partners who were unveiled and reaffirmed their commitment to driving sustainable development in Africa included the Coca-Cola Company, the United Nations Global Compact Network Nigeria, Sterling Bank, the British Council, MTN Foundation, SBG Insurance, the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA), the UNIDO Investment Technology Promotion Office, Nigeria, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Microsoft, SCALE Palladium, the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Impact Investors Foundation, Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC), the Nigeria INGO Forum (NIF), the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), the National Council on Climate Change Foreign Policy, Proshare, Ventures Africa, TechCabal and Trace TV.

Thanking all the partners, Sterling One Foundation Board of Trustees Member and the MD/CEO of Sterling Bank Limited, Mr. Abubakar Suleiman voiced his excitement at the growth the Summit has witnessed within a year of its launch and the level of progress that can be made with organizations like them in the room. He emphasized the Foundation and Sterling Bank’s dedication to fostering collaboration among organizations and connecting like-minded entities to achieve common goals.

“I am always pleased to see organizations prioritizing social impact in the way they operate and not as an afterthought because this means that we then have strong commitments and a solid chance at actually pulling people out of poverty,” he said.

He further expressed his desire to see “available capital and resources being channeled into meaningful and sustainable impact.”

Private sector executives, non-profit leaders, impact investors, heads of government parastatals, and every development leader who wishes to be a part of the Summit are welcome to register via the website – www.theimpactsummit.org. The Summit will feature a deal room for impact-focused entrepreneurs seeking funding from investors.

About Sterling One Foundation
Sterling One Foundation (SOF) is a registered non-profit focused on tackling the root causes of poverty in Nigeria, and Africa through interventions and social impact programmes across five critical sectors namely: climate action, health, education and youth development, gender equality and empowerment, and food security. The Foundation’s programmes adopt a central theme of prioritizing partnerships for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For more information visit www.onefoundation.ng

About United Nations Nigeria
The United Nations System (UNS) in Nigeria, consisting of 19 resident and 4 non-resident entities has had a productive engagement with the Federal Republic of Nigeria since its independence and has been a catalytic supporter of, and trusted partner in, the development aspirations of Nigeria. Learn more on https://nigeria.un.org/