The International Finance Corporation, Nigerian Exchange Group, and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry have unveiled the Nigeria Gender Country Programme at a high-level virtual CEO Roundtable convened to advance private sector action on gender equality and inclusive economic growth.

The session brought together chief executives and senior business leaders from NGX-listed companies, IFC client organisations, and LCCI member companies to introduce the programme’s strategic framework, align stakeholders around a shared agenda, and mobilise support ahead of its formal launch.

The NGCP builds on the momentum of Nigeria2Equal and other initiatives that have advanced workplace inclusion, women’s leadership, entrepreneurship, and sustainable finance across Nigeria’s private sector. Designed as a more integrated and collaborative platform, the programme seeks to scale impact through coordinated action among development institutions, business leaders, regulators, and the organised private sector.

Anchored on three strategic priorities, the programme aims to increase women’s representation in leadership, improve access to quality employment, and expand access to productive assets, including finance, technology, and markets, for women and women-led businesses.

Delivering the keynote address, the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Emomotimi Agama, underscored the private sector’s critical role in accelerating gender-inclusive growth.

“Gender inclusion is fundamentally an economic growth imperative. Closing gender gaps can unlock billions of dollars in value for Nigeria while strengthening business performance and national competitiveness. We must therefore move beyond viewing inclusion as a corporate social responsibility initiative or compliance exercise and instead recognise it as a strategic driver of productivity, innovation, and sustainable economic growth,” he said.

Commenting on the initiative, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NGX Group, Temi Popoola, described the NGCP as a strategic platform for scaling women’s economic participation through stronger collaboration among the private sector, development institutions, and market stakeholders.

“The Nigeria Gender Country Programme presents a significant opportunity to deepen impact and accelerate progress across corporate Nigeria. By expanding women’s access to leadership opportunities, quality employment, finance, technology, and markets, we can unlock substantial economic value while building a more competitive, inclusive, and resilient private sector.

“At NGX Group, we believe the capital market has a critical role to play in advancing these outcomes through stronger governance, transparency, and stakeholder engagement,” he said.

Also speaking at the session, IFC Head of Office in Lagos, Christian Mulamula, highlighted the strong business case for gender inclusion.

“Closing the gender gap is one of the most significant opportunities to strengthen competitiveness and productivity. Across Africa, gender inequality is estimated to cost up to $2.5tn.

“Through the Nigeria Gender Country Program, IFC is working with the private sector to expand women’s leadership, improve access to better jobs, and increase opportunities for women-led businesses. Building on Nigeria2Equal, this initiative focuses on practical, measurable solutions that help businesses grow while advancing inclusive growth,” he said.

In her remarks, Director-General of LCCI, Chinyere Almona, noted that the programme’s success would depend on leadership accountability and sustained commitment from business leaders, particularly in embedding gender inclusion into organisational strategy and execution.

The partners are expected to formally launch the Nigeria Gender Country Programme at a physical event scheduled for 9 July 2026, where stakeholders will further advance implementation of the programme’s strategic priorities.

Ecobank Group has broken new ground in sustainable finance with the launch of the world’s first International Capital Market Association (ICMA) commercial bank-issued Nature Bond on the London Stock Exchange, raising $450 million to channel capital into biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture and water infrastructure across Africa.

The landmark transaction, which attracted overwhelming investor demand and earned the highest sustainability quality rating from Moody’s, is being hailed as a major milestone in efforts to close Africa’s nature-finance gap and mobilise private capital for environmental resilience.

The bond, which was oversubscribed nearly four times, creates a new mechanism for international and African investors to finance the protection of the continent’s natural capital through the communities, farmers and businesses that depend on it.

Africa hosts 25 percent of global biodiversity and is home to some of the world’s most important ecological assets, including vast tracts of arable land, tropical forests, freshwater ecosystems and wildlife habitats.

Yet despite its ecological significance, the continent attracts less than three percent of global nature finance, according to industry estimates.

Ecobank’s Nature Bond is designed to address this imbalance by directing capital into sectors where environmental outcomes and economic livelihoods are deeply interconnected.

Unlike traditional conservation financing vehicles that often focus on protected areas and environmental projects, the Nature Bond channels funding directly into the real economy.

The proceeds will support smallholder farmers adopting sustainable agricultural practices, agribusinesses operating verified deforestation-free supply chains, and water infrastructure projects that safeguard freshwater ecosystems relied upon by millions of people.

The initiative will span 24 African markets, with significant deployment planned in biodiversity-priority countries including Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Ghana.

According to Ecobank, 81 percent of the eligible lending portfolio will be directed to countries where agricultural land-use change remains the primary driver of biodiversity loss. This approach is intended to ensure that financing reaches areas where environmental intervention can generate the greatest impact.

Nature Bonds represent one of the newest categories within sustainable finance.

Under ICMA’s nature bond framework, proceeds must be used specifically to support nature-positive outcomes, including biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture, land restoration and water ecosystem protection.

The designation differs from conventional green bonds, which often support a broader range of environmental objectives.

By contrast, Nature Bonds are designed to target activities directly linked to preserving and restoring natural ecosystems.

For Ecobank, the transaction represents the culmination of several years of investment in sustainability governance, environmental risk management and impact measurement frameworks.

The bank said every eligible loan financed through the bond will be subject to seven independently verified sustainability conditions, supported by monitoring systems that include deforestation screening, supply-chain traceability requirements and ongoing environmental performance assessments.

These safeguards were instrumental in securing Moody’s highest possible Sustainability Quality Score (SQS1 Excellent), providing investors with confidence that the proceeds will generate measurable environmental outcomes.

The $450 million issuance attracted orders worth more than $1.36 billion, representing 3.9 times the original target size.

The strong demand enabled Ecobank to increase the deal size by $100 million while simultaneously tightening pricing by 50 basis points, a rare achievement in sustainable finance markets and a reflection of growing investor interest in credible nature-based investment opportunities.

The transaction drew participation from both African and international institutional investors, underscoring Ecobank’s unique position as a pan-African financial institution capable of bridging global capital markets with local development priorities.

Jeremy Awori, group chief executive officer of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, described the transaction as a defining moment not only for the bank but also for Africa’s sustainable finance landscape.

“This transaction is a defining moment for African sustainable finance. Investors did not just support this bond. They demanded more of it, allowing us to increase the size and tighten pricing,” Awori said.

He noted that Ecobank had spent four years building the governance systems, accountability structures and operational frameworks required to make nature finance both credible and scalable across African markets.

“We are not a bank that simply labels bonds,” he said. “This bond is ultimately about the farmers, cooperatives and communities whose livelihoods depend on healthy ecosystems.”

Rachael Antwi, Ecobank’s group head of sustainability and environmental and social risk management, said the future of nature finance on the continent would depend on practical models that connect environmental objectives with real economic activity.

“Nature finance will only scale in Africa if it is practical, measurable and connected to the real economy. This bond is designed to do that by linking international capital to eligible lending for sustainable agriculture and water infrastructure across 24 countries,” she added.

Antwi added that the framework reflects the systems and standards Ecobank has developed to ensure environmental sustainability and economic development can advance together.

The launch is expected to strengthen Africa’s position within the rapidly expanding global sustainable finance market, which is increasingly looking beyond climate mitigation to address biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation.

Nigeria’s National Payment Stack (NPS) processed 153,000 transactions during its pilot phase, moving closer to a full rollout.

Pic credit…..manifieldsolicitors.com

This next-generation payment infrastructure aims to unify banks, fintechs, mobile money operators, and other financial institutions on a single payment rail.

Premier Oiwoh, managing director and CEO, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), announced this milestone at the launch of the Nigeria Payments System Vision (PSV) 2028 in Abuja.

According to Oiwoh, the National Payment Stack recently recorded its highest transaction volume during testing and is now awaiting final approval before it can be formally launched.

“We’ve started a control pilot transaction on the National Payment Stack. I’m very happy to announce that last night we had the highest level of transactions at 153,000 on the National Payment Stack. So, I’m awaiting the Governor’s nod to put it up formally,” he said.

According to him, the pilot exercise has already provided a strong indication of what the system can handle once it is fully deployed across the financial sector.

The project is part of the broader reforms under the Nigeria Payments System Vision 2028, introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to modernise payment services and strengthen the country’s digital economy.

At the Abuja event, stakeholders stressed that building the technology alone will not guarantee success.

They said the real challenge lies in how effectively the system is implemented, how affordable it becomes for users, and how far it reaches people who are still outside formal banking services.

Oiwoh noted that the human and operational side of the reform is just as important as the technical design.

“In reality, technology is only a fraction of what determines success. The bigger part is execution. Without proper implementation, even the best system will not achieve its purpose. A significant number of Nigerians are still not part of the formal financial system,” he said.

He also expressed support for a pricing structure that would make digital payments cheaper or even free, arguing that reducing transaction costs could encourage wider participation in electronic banking and fintech services.

“I personally believe transfer charges should be eliminated or reduced to zero on financial applications. Payment services should be accessible without fees where possible,” he said.

The NPS is expected to significantly improve how financial transactions are processed in Nigeria by allowing different financial institutions to communicate and settle payments more seamlessly.

This interoperability is expected to reduce delays, lower friction in transactions, and improve the overall customer experience.

It is also expected to enhance transaction speed and strengthen the reliability of digital payments, particularly as more Nigerians continue to shift toward cashless and mobile-based financial services.

Industry players at the event said the pilot results demonstrate that the system is capable of handling large volumes of transactions and can be scaled up without major disruptions when fully launched.

They added that the platform could support innovation in the financial sector by creating a more connected and efficient payment environment for businesses, startups, and consumers.

However, discussions at the event also reflected concerns about cost and sustainability.

While there is growing pressure to reduce transaction fees, operators warned that pricing must still allow payment service providers to remain viable in the long term.