Sanwo-Olu Tasks Private Sector Players on Enterprise-driven Innovations

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged the private sector to take advantage of enterprise-driven innovations that will create impact ecosystems to foster inclusive growth and recovery.

He made the call at the second edition of the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) 2023, held on Thursday in Lagos, themed Global Vision, Local Action: Repositioning the African Development Ecosystem for Sustainable Outcomes, which was organised by Sterling One Foundation alongside the United Nations in Nigeria, the private sector and international development space.

Mr Sanwo-Olu, who his deputy, Mr Obafemi Hamzat, represented, explained that the summit sought to reshape Africa’s impact solutions and accelerate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He noted that the theme reflected the commitment to driving real change at the grassroots level.

According to him, we must come together with a renewed spirit of collaboration, innovation, and determination to build a prosperous and sustainable Africa for all.

The governor, therefore, called on the private sector, with their scales, sustainability, and innovations, to take the lead in driving change.

“We should seek to build result-oriented global and regional partnerships that will fast-track SDG implementation.

“I expect that the outcome of this summit will birth actionable steps to address critical needs and mobilise investments that will drive the success of social enterprises and impact-focused organisations, ” he said.

In his keynote address, Professor Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, the Senior Special Adviser on Industrialisation to the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), said there was a need for Africa to prioritise industrialisation to help in socioeconomic and political development.

He said: “African countries should migrate from being consumption nations to production countries by making sure they produce what they eat and eat what they produce.