Shettima launches empowerment fun for women, youth, children at ASIS Summit

By Kunle Sanni –

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 High-Level Policy Engagement in Abuja.

The launch is scheduled for Wednesday, 28 January 2026, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

The initiative, convened by the Office of the Vice President in collaboration with Sterling One Foundation, the United Nations System and other ASIS partners, is part of the key outcomes of the ASIS 2026 policy engagement. The summit serves as a leading platform for accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through innovation, financing and strategic partnerships.

With the theme, “Scaling Action – Driving Inclusive Growth through Policy and Innovation,” the high-level engagement is expected to attract over 200 senior leaders from government, the private sector, development institutions, civil society organisations and the diplomatic community.

Major highlights of the event include the launch of flagship, policy-backed initiatives such as the Business Coalition for Education (BCE) and the Nigeria Foundational Learning Fund. These initiatives are designed to strengthen foundational literacy and numeracy while addressing Nigeria’s out-of-school children challenge.

Also to be launched is the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI) Nigeria platform, the country’s flagship programme for advancing women and youth economic empowerment through compact-based delivery, co-investment frameworks and performance accountability. With this launch, Nigeria becomes the first implementation platform for the African Union’s WYFEI programme, which is expected to be rolled out in other countries subsequently.

Speaking ahead of the engagement, Vice President Shettima said Nigeria’s long-term prosperity depends on the effective mobilisation of funding, partnerships and expertise at both local and international levels.

“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 towards delivery-driven partnerships that unlock the full potential of our women and youth, strengthen human capital and accelerate inclusive growth,” he said.