General News
Impact Investors Foundation Launches Decade-Long Drive for Gender Equity and Social Inclusion
Impact Investors Foundation (IIF), Nigeria’s leading platform for unlocking impact capital today unveiled the groundbreaking Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Roadmap 2025 -2035.
L-R: Oluwatoyin Sanni, founder, Emerging Africa Capital Group; Charles Usie, country director, Plan International, Nigeria; Ibukun Awosika, chair, GSG Nigeria Partner and vice chair, GSG Impact; Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Emir of Kano; Etemore Glover, CEO, Impact Investment Foundation (IIF); Frank Aigbogun, chair, IIF; and Uwa Oboh, head, corporate development, Capital Alliance, at the Gender Impact Investment Summit 2025 organised by Impact Investment Foundation in Lagos yesterday.
This decade-of-action blueprint for gender equity and social inclusion in Nigeria was launched at the third Gender Impact Investment Summit (GIIS), themed, “Investing in Equity: Advancing Gender-Led Solutions for Inclusive Development,” held at the Civic Centre in Lagos. The launch also introduced the Nigeria Inclusive Capital Commitment 2035 campaign to drive actionable plans towards the GESI roadmap’s ambitious goals.
In collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Nigeria, the IIF developed a 10-year strategic roadmap from 2025 to 2035 to embed inclusive investment practices within Nigeria’s economy. The GESI Roadmap presents a clear, actionable plan with targets such as mobilising $8.0 billion in cumulative gender-inclusive capital, the launch of 40 inclusive financial products for women, youth, and PwDs, 90% integration of Gender Equity and Social Inclusion principles by General Partners, mobilisation of $1.5 billion domestic capital pools, and the enactment of 20 new policy and regulatory instruments, among others.
The Nigeria Inclusive Capital Commitment 2035 campaign was introduced to inform, shape, and inspire strong capital mobilisation commitments and action for women, youth, and People with Disabilities (PwDs). It aims to galvanise all stakeholders—including governments, providers and absorbers of capital, market builders, enablers, and financial intermediaries—towards achieving the set targets.
“This GESI Roadmap is not just a plan; it’s a blueprint for a significant shift in Nigeria’s economy,” stated Etemore Glover, CEO of the Impact Investors Foundation. “The scale of the targets underscores our profound commitment to a future where no one is left behind. This incredibly exciting moment sets a powerful, decade-long course to democratize capital and transform our investment landscape for women, youth, and People with Disabilities (PwDs).”
By signing the Nigeria Inclusive Capital Commitment 2035, stakeholders pledge to take several key actions: mobilize inclusive capital at scale to close gender and inclusion financing gaps; introduce GESI principles into investment decisions, policies, and financial products; strengthen institutional capacity, pipeline development, and policy coherence; and deliver measurable outcomes that empower women, youth, and PwDs across Nigeria.
Ibukun Awosika, Chair, GSG Nigeria Partner and Vice Chair, GSG Impact, emphasised the campaign’s significance: “The GESI roadmap moves us beyond aspiration to accountability, demanding that stakeholders not only mobilize inclusive capital at scale but also embed GESI principles into every investment decision and policy, thereby enabling the gaps to be closed, unlocking Nigeria’s full economic potential, and ensuring our growth is truly equitable and transformative.”
Jessica Espinoza, CEO of 2X Global, a global industry body for gender lens investing, delivered a powerful keynote address, stressing the need for intentional action: “Progress is strategic, not accidental, which is why the GESI roadmap is a critical blueprint for Nigeria’s future. It’s a vital framework for intentionally dismantling financial barriers, empowering women, youth, and people with disabilities, and unlocking the nation’s full economic potential.”
The summit featured goodwill remarks from renowned speakers, panel discussions, fireside chats, and presentations from notable figures in the financial, business, and policy sectors.
In a direct move to facilitate real-world investments, the summit also featured a dedicated, in-person deal room. This unique platform provided a direct pipeline for investment-ready, women-led, and women-owned businesses to connect with capital providers, including impact investors, fund managers, and development finance institutions.
This roadmap was developed with vital support of several distinguished institutions and organisations, including PwC Nigeria, GIZ, the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, the Ministry of Youth Development, and the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund funded by UK International Development.
This third Gender Impact Investment Summit, with the launch of the GESI Roadmap and the Nigeria Inclusive Capital Commitment 2035 Campaign, reaffirms the Impact Investors Foundation’s dedication to establishing actionable interventions that build a gender-inclusive economy, driving prosperity and social impact for profit in Nigeria.
Police in Abuja have uncovered a criminal group making fake diplomatic and government number plates.
Ahmed Sanusi, commissioner of Police FCT, stated this during a press briefing on Friday.
He explained that criminals use these fake plates to dodge security checks and enter restricted areas.
The investigation started soon after Sanusi took office.
He noticed too many unauthorized cars driving around with official government and diplomatic tags.
“I immediately ordered a comprehensive investigation into this disturbing trend,” Sanusi said. He noted that these individuals use the plates as a cover to commit crimes and avoid arrest.
The police have already arrested several people caught using the fake plates.
They have also figured out who is making them.
The manufacturers operate outside Abuja, and police are actively hunting them down.
Sanusi kept their names secret so they would not flee.
He stressed that this is a highly profitable illegal business.
Buyers pay between N500,000 and N1.7 million for a single fake plate.
“This will tell you that they are making such huge expenditure because they have an agenda,” Sanusi explained.
“Now they will face punishment that is bigger than both the cost they incur and the agenda they are planning.”
The commissioner urged residents to report any cars with suspicious diplomatic plates.
He reminded the public that real diplomatic tags follow a very specific format.
A diplomatic number plate in Nigeria is a special vehicle identification tag issued to foreign embassies, high commissions, and accredited international diplomats.
Gavi has approved $500 million to strengthen Nigeria’s immunisation programme, primary healthcare services and long-term vaccine financing.
The move followed high-level discussions between Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, ]and Dr. Sania Nishtar, chief executive officer, Gavi in Abuja.
The funding, approved under the Gavi 6.0 programme, will support Nigeria’s efforts to accelerate routine immunisation, sustain polio eradication, expand HPV vaccination, strengthen primary healthcare services, and improve long-term vaccine financing.
Speaking during the meeting, Pate said Nigeria was strengthening its partnership with Gavi to accelerate immunisation, expand primary healthcare services, and ensure sustainable financing for vaccines.
He welcomed Gavi’s country-focused reforms, including the introduction of a predictable five-year funding envelope.
Pate said the US$500 million allocation will enable Nigeria to plan more effectively and deliver life-saving vaccines to more children and vulnerable populations.
The minister also revealed that quarterly visits to primary healthcare centreshad increased from about 10 million in 2023 to more than 45 million, reflecting significant progress in revitalising the country’s primary healthcare system.
Pate welcomed the announcement of a US$600 million pledge by the United States government to Gavi, describing it as a strong endorsement of the alliance’s leadership and the global value of vaccines.
He also commended Nishtar for prioritising Nigeria and praised the closer coordination among Gavi, World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, World Bank, Gates Foundation, and other development partners, describing it as a model that has improved efficiency and aligned support with Nigeria’s health sector reforms.
The minister expressed appreciation to Gavi and its partners for their continued technical and financial support, while calling on state governments to invest more in healthcare and immunisation to complement federal efforts.
For many women, financial independence means the freedom to provide for their families and build a better future. Yet, this remains out of reach due to limited access to opportunities, business support, and secure payment solutions.
Like millions of women in Nigeria determined to be financially independent, Pricillia started with a single PalmPay POS terminal, and as an agent, every successful transaction provided a commission which brought her one step closer to achieving her dream.
Through consistency, discipline, and support from the payment platform, she reinvested her earnings and eventually opened her own provision store.
“I started as just a PalmPay agent with one POS. The consistency of the platform gave me the confidence to expand. With the income I earned, I was able to open my own provision shop.” Priscilla said.
For Priscilla, PalmPay was more than a payment platform. Its secure payment infrastructure gave her the confidence to serve her customers, build trust, and grow her income.
Today, Pricillia has joined the statistics of SMEs powering Nigeria’s economy and PalmPay continues to support her daily operations, helping her receive payments, as she works towards her next business milestone. Her journey is a reminder that when women have access to secure financial tools and opportunities, they can build lasting economic independence.
Speaking on Pricillia’s journey, Femi Hanson, Head of Marketing, PalmPay said: “Providing a secure platform that users can trust, whether for everyday payments or high-value transactions, is central to our vision of advancing financial inclusion. Priscilla’s story reflects our commitment to supporting the ambitions of Nigerians by providing a platform they can rely on to grow their finances. After all, seamless banking begins with security, and every successful transaction reinforces the trust our users place in us.”
Priscilla stands among thousands of PalmPay agents nationwide who are helping to expand financial access across Nigeria while earning commissions to create sustainable sources of income for themselves.
Every payment tells a story. It begins with trust, the confidence that your money is secure and that financial services are accessible. And when that opportunity reaches women, it creates ripple effects that transform families, strengthen communities, and drive economic growth.
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