Iyke Bede
The Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) has unveiled ‘The Inclusive Capital Scorecard: GESI Baseline Survey,’ a benchmark report aimed at tracking gender equality and social inclusion practices across Nigeria’s impact investment ecosystem, as stakeholders seek to move beyond broad commitments on inclusive financing toward measurable outcomes for women, youths and persons with disabilities.
Launched during the 4th Gender Impact Investment Summit (GIIS) in Lagos, the report builds on commitments made at previous editions of the summit, where more than 50 organisations pledged support for inclusive capital deployment.
This year’s summit, themed ‘From Commitment to Action: Strengthening Inclusive Gender Lens Investment for Nigeria’s Growth,’ focused on translating those commitments into accountability frameworks capable of measuring investment impact, financing gaps and inclusion outcomes across sectors.
Described by organisers as a reference point for assessing progress within Nigeria’s inclusive capital roadmap, the GESI baseline survey is expected to support policy implementation, strengthen cross-sector collaboration and provide data for tracking how capital is raised and deployed.
The report was unveiled alongside policy roundtables involving regulators, ministries and government agencies, with discussions centred on accelerating implementation of policies supporting inclusion across key economic sectors, including climate-resilient industries.
Chief Executive Officer of Impact Investors Foundation, Etemore Glover, said the report provides a data-driven framework for addressing longstanding barriers within Nigeria’s financial system, particularly around access to credit and investment opportunities for women-owned businesses.
“The GESI Baseline Report is the data-driven foundation required to fix structural barriers in our financial system,” she said. “While women own nearly 40 per cent 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.”
Chair of GSG Nigeria Partner and Vice Chair of GSG Impact, Ibukun Awosika, said the report places responsibility on both investors and policymakers to integrate gender inclusion into financial and policy decisions rather than treat it as a peripheral issue.
“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,” she said. “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.”
Organisers said the summit was designed to move conversations around inclusion beyond advocacy by encouraging institutions to track measurable indicators such as job creation, enterprise growth, geographic reach and inclusion outcomes linked to investment deployment. As part of efforts to facilitate immediate economic impact, the summit also introduced enhanced Deal Rooms operating both physically and virtually to connect investors directly with women-led enterprises seeking funding. According to the organisers, the sessions generated soft investor commitments estimated at $250,000.
The summit further featured technical sessions focused on institutional capacity building, including the deployment of GESI diagnostic tools, investment readiness frameworks and data capture systems intended to help public and private sector institutions integrate gender lens investing into their operations.
In his keynote address titled ‘Turning Gender Equity into Economic Advantage,’ His Highness Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II CON, Sarkin Kano, stressed the need for deliberate action against structural barriers limiting women’s financial inclusion, noting that gender equality should be treated not only as a social concern, but as an economic imperative tied to national prosperity.
The intervention comes amid concerns over persistent financial inclusion gaps in Nigeria. Data cited at the summit showed that only 23 per cent of Nigerian women have bank accounts compared to 77 per cent of men, a disparity that stakeholders at the event said reflects the broader exclusion challenges facing women-led businesses and underserved groups within the economy.
Participants at the summit included financial institutions, development finance institutions and policymakers, with discussions focused on how the new scorecard could shape future investment strategies and inclusion policies.
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