About the Gender/Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Roadmap for Impact Investing in Nigeria, 2025 – 2035
Background
Across the world, Gender Lens Investing (GLI) and Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) are no longer seen as philanthropy, but as powerful levers for economic growth, resilience, and sustainability.
Nigeria is rich in potential but hampered by systemic inequalities. There’s a unique opportunity to lead Africa in building an inclusive economy.
Nigeria, with its vast economic potential, faces deep structural inequalities. Women, youth, and People with disabilities (PwDs) continue to be excluded from equal access to finance, markets, and opportunities. Women receive less than 5% of formal credit despite owning 40% of MSMEs. People with disabilities face unemployment rates nearly double the national average. Youth unemployment remains above 34%, with young women most affected.
The Gender/GESI Roadmap (2025–2035) responds to this urgent challenge. It is a 10-year coordinated strategy to shift Nigeria’s investment ecosystem from fragmented interventions to a coordinated, evidence-driven system where inclusivity is at the heart of investment and policy decisions.
This roadmap aligns with global best practices such as the 2X Challenge, IFC Gender-Smart Investing Principles, GIIN’s IRIS+ Standards, and the SDGs (5, 8, 10) while tailoring solutions to Nigeria’s cultural, institutional, and financial realities.
Governance Structure
Leadership Council
The Leadership Council (LC) is the highest decision-making body for implementing Nigeria's Gender/GESI roadmap. It provides strategic leadership, executive oversight, and high-level policy direction, ensuring the roadmap aligns with national priorities and achieves measurable impact.
Secretariat
The Secretariat is hosted by the Impact Investors Foundation (IIF). It is responsible for operational coordination and day-to-day management, supported by designated national partners. The Secretariat serves as a central hub for communication, documentation, and reporting, ensuring seamless interaction among all governance components and timely escalation of issues to the Leadership Council.
Technical Implementation Oversight Committee (TIOC)
The TIOC is a multi-stakeholder committee responsible for guiding the implementation and oversight of the s Gender/GESI Roadmap within Nigeria's investment ecosystem. Its members are seasoned professionals with expertise in gender issues, social inclusion, impact investing, finance, law, policy development, and advocacy from the public and private sector. The TIOC will be supported by four Thematic Working Groups:
- Policy and Legal Reform
- Finance and Investment
- Data and Technology
- Capacity Building and Advocacy
The TIOC will also coordinate the National Gender/GESI Champions Fellowship (GGCF), a nationwide initiative to equip changemakers across Nigeria with the tools to advance equity and inclusion at community and national levels.
National Gender /GESI Champions Fellowship (GGCF)
The National Gender/GESI Champions Fellowship (GGCF) builds a pipeline of community champions across Nigeria's six geo-political zones. This fellowship equips selected champions with the toolkits and resources needed to drive change nationwide, drawing on evidence from Nigerian contexts where women and marginalized groups have fostered innovation, productivity, and community resilience.