Abuja, Nigeria – July 30, 2025 | The African Union Commission, in collaboration with the Sterling One Foundation and Germany’s development agency GIZ, is stepping up efforts to mobilize $100 billion in private sector investments targeted at empowering African women and youth.
The initiative, part of the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion 2030 (WYFEI 2030) programme, aims to reach at least 10 million women and young people across the continent by the end of the decade.
At a recent high-level meeting held ahead of the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS 2025), stakeholders from across public and private sectors gathered to explore how to close the persistent financing gap limiting the participation of women and youth in Africa’s economy. The event was organized by the African Union Commission’s Women, Gender and Youth Directorate, in partnership with Sterling One Foundation, and supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through GIZ.
The dialogue focused on the need for tailored financial products, improved data systems, and technical support to help women- and youth-led businesses thrive. Experts stressed that the private sector must play a central role in building inclusive financial ecosystems that enable long-term growth and opportunity.
“A fundamental shift is needed to place women and youth at the center of resource allocation, policy-making, and accountability,” said Ms. Prudence Nonkululeko Ngwenya, Director of the AU’s Women, Gender and Youth Directorate. “The private sector is not a guest at this table, but a co-owner of the agenda. WYFEI 2030 is designed for co-investment, innovation, and ecosystem-wide transformation.”
Sterling One Foundation CEO, Ms. Olapeju Ibekwe, echoed the call for deeper commitment from private actors. “Inclusion cannot be rhetoric. Women and youth are not peripheral to Africa’s economy. Any agenda that sidelines them is simply incomplete,” she stated. “Partnerships must move beyond alignment and toward shared execution that reflects the realities of Africa’s investment landscape.”
Dr. Tobias Thiel, Director of the GIZ African Union Portfolio, described financial inclusion as both a moral obligation and an economic necessity. “We must move forward together with boldness and resolve to create an Africa where opportunity is truly equal and potential is limitless,” he said.
A key highlight of the event was the launch of the EmpowerHer Africa initiative, introduced by Dr. Nadi Albino, Deputy Director of Partnerships at UNICEF. The program aims to empower 50 million adolescent girls and young women across Africa by providing them access to finance, technology, and entrepreneurship resources under the WYFEI 2030 framework.
The convening is the first in a series of continent-wide engagements led by the African Union Commission and anchored by Sterling One Foundation. These discussions will focus on removing systemic barriers to economic inclusion and mobilizing innovative financing solutions that align with Africa’s development priorities.
Organizers say the long-term goal is to generate scalable solutions and measurable progress toward a more inclusive and economically resilient Africa.
Media Contact:
- Ms. Rym Ben Salah, Economic Empowerment Expert, Women, Gender and Youth Directorate, African Union Commission – SalahR@AfricanUnion.org
- Ms. Chiwendu Isaiah, Communications Strategist, Sterling One Foundation – chiwendu.isaiah@sterling.ng
