When women thrive, communities transform — and that belief was at the heart of conversations at the 3rd Gender Impact Investment Summit held on October 2, 2025, in Lagos.
At the summit, the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) joined changemakers, investors, and policymakers to explore one powerful question: how can Nigeria’s investment landscape become truly inclusive — one that works for women, men, and marginalized groups alike?
Organized by the Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and other partners, the event brought together voices from across the country’s development and financial ecosystems. For PIND, it was more than a conference — it was an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to ensuring that gender equity and social inclusion are not afterthoughts, but foundations for sustainable development.
Launching the GESI Roadmap for Impact Investing
One of the defining moments of the summit was the official launch of the Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Roadmap for Impact Investing in Nigeria (2025–2035), a decade-long strategy co-developed by Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Designed to dismantle systemic barriers that limit access to capital for women, youth, and persons with disabilities (PWDs), the roadmap charts a path toward a more inclusive, equitable investment landscape in Nigeria.
PIND’s contributions to the development of this roadmap were recognized among those of other leading development organizations and government institutions. This acknowledgment reflects PIND’s consistent leadership in advancing inclusive growth, using partnerships and systems-level solutions to create opportunities that empower underrepresented groups and strengthen communities across the Niger Delta.
Advancing Gender Lens Investing and Inclusive Finance
Panel and breakout sessions during the summit explored critical themes such as gender lens investing, access to inclusive capital, impact measurement and management, and the climate–gender nexus. Experts, investors, and government officials shared practical pathways to integrating gender equity in financial systems and business operations.
The summit concluded with a fireside chat on blended finance as a catalyst for gender equity, spotlighting success stories from women, youth, and PWD entrepreneurs who are redefining impact investing in Nigeria.
Strengthening PIND’s Gender Mainstreaming Agenda
PIND’s participation aligns with its Phase IV GESI mainstreaming strategy, which emphasizes embedding gender and social inclusion principles across all its peacebuilding and economic development programs.
Through side discussions and strategic networking during the summit, PIND showcased its regional impact through the GESI lens, engaging investors, policymakers, and ecosystem players committed to gender-responsive development.
The newly launched roadmap provides a framework that PIND can operationalize as it updates its GESI policy in 2026, further strengthening its institutional approach to inclusive development.
Looking Ahead: Building an Inclusive Investment Future
The 3rd Gender Impact Investment Summit reaffirmed that inclusive capital is key to achieving equitable and sustainable growth. PIND remains committed to leveraging its technical expertise, partnerships, and on-the-ground experience to shape policies and practices that ensure women, youth, and persons with disabilities are not left behind in Nigeria’s evolving investment landscape.
