Otamere Gladness 
Vice President Shettima speaking at the Nigerian Renewable Energy Forum.
ABUJA, Nigeria – Vice President Kashim Shettima says Africa’s development challenges can no longer be solved through foreign aid alone, calling for large-scale deployment of patient capital, blended finance and private enterprise to accelerate growth.
Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja at the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement, Shettima says governments must reframe development as long-term investment rather than public expenditure. He delivers the remarks through his Technical Adviser on Women, Youth Engagement and Impact, Hauwa Liman.
“The government alone cannot solve Africa’s development challenges,” Shettima says. “The future of this continent will not be financed by aid alone. It will be financed by patient capital, catalytic capital, blended finance and private enterprise deployed at scale.”
Warning against fragmentation, Shettima urges collaboration among government, development partners, social innovators, civil society and the private sector. “The stakes are too high for fragmentation. Progress demands a coalition,” he says.
Earlier, Budget and Economic Planning Minister Atiku Bagudu, represented by Dr Sampson Ebimaro, says ASIS aligns with the Tinubu administration’s commitment to translating policy into measurable impact.
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Hussaini Ibrahim 
Mirian Gom 
Chukwu Obinna 