The Impact Investors Foundation (IIF), Nigeria’s foremost platform for unlocking impact capital, has set a bold mission to connect women-led and women-owned businesses with vital capital through innovative in-person and virtual deal rooms.
This is even as it will be hosting its third Gender Impact Investment Summit (GIIS) on October 2, 2025, in Lagos. The event, themed “Investing in Equity: Advancing Gender-Led Solutions for Inclusive Development,” aims to bridge the financing gap for women-led and women-owned businesses by connecting them directly with investors through innovative deal rooms.
This year’s summit marks a shift from advocacy to action, with a key focus on facilitating tangible investment opportunities. A key highlight of the event will be the official unveiling of the ground-breaking Gender/Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Roadmap. This strategic framework is designed to tackle the systemic barriers faced by businesses led by women, youth, and People with Disabilities (PWDs) in Nigeria, providing a clear path for various actors to adopt more inclusive practices.
Etemore Glover, CEO of Impact Investors Foundation, told BusinessDay that, “This summit is about more than just talk; it’s about action. By shifting our focus from advocacy to a powerful business strategy, we are proving that investing with a gender lens is not just about doing good, it is about achieving higher returns.”
A key feature of the summit will be in-person and virtual deal rooms, which will provide a direct platform for investment-ready, women-led, and women-owned businesses to connect with capital providers. This unique opportunity will facilitate crucial partnerships and foster real-world investments by connecting entrepreneurs with impact investors and fund managers.
The GIIS welcomes a diverse audience of stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, financial institutions, enterprise support organisations, government representatives, and the media, all of whom are vital to driving meaningful change. The summit will feature panel discussions that will drive knowledge and insight sharing, breakout and networking sessions, fireside chats, and presentations from notable speakers in the financial, business, and policy sectors. Jessica Espinoza, CEO of 2X Global, a global industry body for gender lens investing will deliver the keynote address.
“Through GIIS, IIF is committed to establishing Nigeria as a leader in gender-inclusive investments, showing the world that economic prosperity and social impact can go hand-in-hand,” Glover added.
