The Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) has moved to translate Nigeria’s Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) roadmap from policy document into practice, convening a high-level workshop in Lagos designed to equip financial institutions with the tools to integrate gender and inclusion metrics into every stage of capital allocation.
Held at Four Points by Sheraton, the Nigeria Gender-Smart and Inclusive Capital workshop gathered investors, policymakers, and development partners to operationalise the framework launched at the 2025 Gender Impact Investment Summit.
The session marked a strategic pivot from advocacy to execution, pushing participants to move beyond policy alignment and into institutional transformation.
CEO of the Impact Investors Foundation, Etemore Glover, opened the training by framing the initiative as the critical link between aspiration and action.
He said: “It is not enough to have a roadmap; we must now begin to operationalise it. This phase moves us past advocacy and into the rigorous work of implementation, ensuring organisations intentionally deploy strategies to bridge the gaps that have historically sidelined women and marginalised groups.”
Goodwill remarks from Elizabeth Boggs Davidsen, CEO of GSG Impact, and Dr Abia Udeme Nsikak, representing the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, reinforced the role of private capital in advancing inclusive economic growth.
A technical presentation by a Partner from PwC laid out the roadmap’s structure, detailing how gender-smart principles can be embedded across deal sourcing, due diligence, portfolio management, and exit strategies.
Experts from 2X Global and Moreni Capital contextualised global standards like the 2X Criteria for the Nigerian market, demonstrating how investors can intentionally support women-led businesses and women as value chain participants.
Participants also engaged with IIF’s GESI Diagnostic Tool to assess institutional readiness and develop actionable plans for strengthening governance and investment screening processes.
Data from the newly released Nigeria Inclusive Capital Baseline Survey provided a benchmark for progress, offering sex and disability-disaggregated insights into financing gaps.
Afternoon sessions led by Verod Capital and Alitheia Capital offered practical strategies for embedding GESI metrics into governance and highlighted case studies where gender-lens investing drove both financial returns and social impact.
The workshop closed with a renewed commitment from stakeholders to translate the roadmap into measurable outcomes.
“With growing evidence that diverse enterprises outperform their peers in risk management and long-term value creation, Nigeria’s push to operationalise gender-smart investing reflects both a moral imperative and a significant market opportunity,” Glover concluded.
