The United Nations has stated that the acceleration of Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, across Africa requires financing as over $300 billion is needed to close the gap in Nigeria. The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Nigeria, Mr. Matthias Schmale, commended the Sterling One Foundation for its role to accelerate growth towards the 2030 SDGs across Africa. He stated this during the 2-day hybrid event in Abuja which had about 4,000 registered delegates from 55 countries.

Giving a keynote address at the event on the theme, ‘Rethink, Rebuild, Recover, Accelerating Growth for the SDGs’, Schmale noted that the theme was apt, timely, relevant, and required given the economic regression across Africa occasioned by the pandemic, the volatilities caused by the Ukraine war and the fact there was just 8 years to go before 2030. He said there was the need for intensive collaborations and partnerships among African leaders across the public and private sectors including the civil society groups to aid the achievement of not just the 2030 goals but also, the African Union’s 2063 goals.

Also speaking at the event, Mrs. Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO, Sterling One Foundation, noted that the summit had in-depth and insightful panel sessions on climate action, education access and funding, primary healthcare, youth and gender empowerment, impact investment and governance which all give a good appreciation of the 17 interlinked global goals. She added that a recurring resolution that came through in all the panel sessions was the need for elimination of silo executions and embracing of collaborations by all sector players.