… Premier platform set to translate $8 billion inclusive capital roadmap into measurable action
[Lagos, Nigeria] – May, 2026 – The Impact Investors Foundation (IIF), Nigeria’s leading platform for unlocking impact capital, today hosted the 4th Gender Impact Investment Summit (GIIS). The landmark event featured the historic unveiling of the Inclusive Capital Scorecard, a Gender Equity and Social Inclusion Baseline report, which establishes a foundation and clear understanding for GESI integration practices in impact investment.
The summit, themed “From Commitment to Action: Strengthening Inclusive Gender Lens Investment for Nigeria’s Growth,” convened at a critical juncture for deepening the Nigeria’s National Women Economic Empowerment policy. Building on the momentum of previous years, where over 50 organizations pledged support for inclusive capital, the 4th GIIS serves as the definitive platform to translate high-level pledges into tangible, measurable results for women, youth, and the over 35 million Nigerians living with disabilities.
The centerpiece of this year’s summit was the GESI baseline survey, which serves as a reference point for tracking progress, informing interventions, and strengthening accountability toward achieving the national inclusive capital roadmap. It also features a policy roundtable, where regulators, ministries and government agencies made actionable commitments to strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and accelerate policy implementation for women, youths and persons with disabilities (PwD) in key economic sectors, including climate resilient industries. “The GESI Baseline Report is more than a document; it is the data-driven foundation required to fix structural barriers in our financial system,” stated Etemore Glover, CEO of the Impact Investors Foundation. “While women own nearly 40% of Nigerian businesses, they receive a disproportionately small share of formal credit. This report empowers stakeholders to identify acute gaps and benchmark progress as we move toward a truly inclusive economy.”
Ibukun Awosika, Chair of GSG Nigeria Partner and Vice Chair of GSG Impact, emphasised the significance of this milestone at the 4th GIIS: “By providing the data-driven foundation needed to benchmark progress, it demands that stakeholders not only mobilise inclusive capital at scale but also embed GESI and gender lens investment principles into every investment decision and policy. This summit is the definitive platform to close investment gaps, unlocking Nigeria’s full economic potential and ensuring our growth is truly equitable and transformative.”
The 4th Gender Impact Investment Summit (GIIS) acts as a vehicle to dismantle obstacles for women, serving as a catalyst for growth by actively driving impact to accommodate women, including those in the informal labour market. It moves beyond rhetoric to institutionalise accountability by encouraging organisations to not only track how capital is raised, but also the type of capital deployed, jobs created, enterprise growth, geographic reach, and measurable inclusion outcomes.
Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) are increasingly recognized as critical leverage points; by addressing the institutional gaps that leave women, youths and persons with disabilities-led businesses under-resourced, Nigeria can catalyze a new wave of data-driven investment and productivity.
The keynote address, ‘Turning Gender Equity into Economic Advantage,’ presented by His Highness Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II CON, Sarkin Kano, stressed the need for the intentional dismantling of structural barriers that hinder women’s financial inclusion, noting that gender equality is not merely a social imperative but a critical economic lever for national prosperity.
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To facilitate immediate economic impact, the 4th GIIS introduced enhanced Deal Rooms, operating both virtually and in-person. These rooms are specifically designed to provide a direct matchmaking pipeline, connecting investors with ready-to-scale, women-led enterprises, leading to a soft commitment of about $250,000 from investors.
In addition, the summit featured technical sessions which emphasised institutional capacity building, equipping both public and private sector actors with the GESI diagnostic tools, investment readiness tools and data capturing frameworks necessary to mainstream GESI and gender lens investing (GLI) into their core operations.
The economic urgency of this intervention is underscored by current data showing a stark inclusion gap: only 23% of Nigerian women have bank accounts, compared to 77% of men. By providing credible, first-of-its-kind data, the IIF is positioning the GESI Roadmap as a strategic necessity for sustainable national growth.
The summit featured high-level participation from financial institutions, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs), and policymakers. Through interactive panels and policy conversations, leaders were invited to move beyond discourse and lead in GESI integration, utilizing the new report to influence future policy and investment strategies.
The 4th Gender Impact Investment Summit reaffirms IIF’s role as a strategic architect in the Nigerian investment market, dedicated to establishing actionable interventions that ensure no one is left behind in the pursuit of prosperity.
About Impact Investors Foundation
The Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) is a nonprofit organization driving impact investing in Nigeria. Through knowledge sharing, policy advocacy, and capacity building and research, it unlocks domestic and international capital for high-impact investments. IIF has spearheaded major initiatives, including the establishment of the Nigerian National Advisory Board for Impact Investing (NABII), which secured government backing for the $1 billion Nigerian Wholesale Impact Investment Fund (WIIF) to finance MSMEs. Other notable programs include Deal Source Africa, which has facilitated $1.9 million in deals, and the Nigerian Impact Investment and Industry Research Collaborative (NIIRIC), which promotes research commercialisation. Additionally, its Enterprise Support Organization (ESO) Collaborative has empowered over 200 organizations to help businesses become investment-ready, thereby contributing to sustainable development and economic growth in Nigeria. Visit www.impactinvestorsfoundation.org to learn more.
About the Gender Impact Investment Summit
The Gender Impact Investment Summit is a robust platform that convenes stakeholders to address the gender financing gap in Nigeria. By bringing together key stakeholders, showcasing innovative models, and facilitating meaningful discussions, the summit aims to accelerate progress towards a more inclusive and equitable investment landscape.
Building on the commitments to Inclusive Capital made by over 50 organizations during the 3rd Gender Impact Investment Summit, where the Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Roadmap 2025–2035 was officially launched, this upcoming summit is designed to translate pledges into measurable action. The event will serve as a platform to present baseline data, highlight the tangible progress achieved by organisations leading the charge in capital inclusion, and foster a deeper understanding of best practices and innovative approaches. Visit https://gs.impactinvestorsfoundation.org/ to learn more.
