Sterling Bank, FITC Drive Institutional Accountability for Sustainable Africa

Sterling Bank, in collaboration with the Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC), convened financial sector leaders, policymakers, and corporate executives at the 2026 FITC Sustainability and ESG Conference in Lagos. The event aimed to accelerate sustainable finance and mobilize local capital to address Africa’s climate and development financing needs. Sterling Bank positioned itself at the forefront of Africa’s green transition, fostering dialogue on sustainable finance and partnerships for inclusive economic growth. FITC Managing Director and CEO, Dr. Chizor Malize, stressed that climate resilience, social investment, and strong governance are now strategic imperatives. She urged leaders to move beyond mere corporate reporting to practical implementation, highlighting the opportunity for long-term growth in Africa through visionary leadership. "Around the world, Sustainability and ESG have moved from the margins of corporate reporting to the centre of economic strategy," Dr. Malize stated. "We have brought together this distinguished community of leaders not simply to discuss Sustainability and ESG, but to examine how they can become practical levers for building resilient organisations, trusted institutions and prosperous economies." Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of ONE Foundation, emphasized the role of targeted capital allocation, noting, "Impact investments are now the critical engines for driving scalable solutions in health, education, and climate resilience." Data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revealed that multilateral climate funds provide less than 2 percent of Africa’s climate finance, underscoring the need for local markets to fill this gap. CBN Deputy Governor Philip C. Ikeazor advocated for accelerating local market solutions to support Nigeria's net-zero emissions target by 2060.

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Around the world, Sustainability and ESG have moved from the margins of corporate reporting to the centre of economic strategy. We have brought together this distinguished community of leaders not simply to discuss Sustainability and ESG, but to examine how they can become practical levers for building resilient organisations, trusted institutions and prosperous economies.