IIF Launches Report to Track Inclusive Capital Commitments

Iyke Bede

The Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) has released the “Inclusive Capital Scorecard: GESI Baseline Survey,” a benchmark report designed to monitor gender equality and social inclusion practices within Nigeria’s impact‑investment sector. The initiative aims to move beyond broad commitments to inclusive financing by establishing measurable outcomes for women, youths, and persons with disabilities.

The scorecard was launched at the 4th Gender Impact Investment Summit (GIIS) in Lagos. It builds on commitments made at earlier summits, where more than 50 organisations pledged to support 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 pledges into accountability frameworks that can measure investment impact, identify financing gaps, and track inclusion outcomes across sectors.

Organisers described the GESI baseline survey as a reference point for assessing progress along Nigeria’s inclusive capital roadmap. The report is expected to aid policy implementation, strengthen cross‑sector collaboration, and provide data for tracking how capital is raised and deployed.

The unveiling coincided with policy roundtables that brought together regulators, ministries, and government agencies. Discussions centered on accelerating the implementation of inclusion‑supporting policies in key economic sectors, including climate‑resilient industries.

Etemore Glover, Chief Executive Officer of the Impact Investors Foundation, said the report offers a data‑driven framework to address longstanding barriers in Nigeria’s financial system, especially regarding 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.”

Ibukun Awosika, Chair of GSG Nigeria Partner and Vice Chair of GSG Impact, added that the report places responsibility on both investors and policymakers to integrate gender inclusion into financial and policy decisions rather than treating 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 stated that the summit was designed to move inclusion conversations beyond advocacy by encouraging institutions to track measurable indicators such as job creation, enterprise growth, geographic reach, and inclusion outcomes linked to investment deployment. To facilitate immediate economic impact, the summit also introduced enhanced Deal Rooms—both physical and virtual—to connect investors directly with women‑led enterprises seeking funding. Organisers reported that the sessions generated soft investor commitments estimated at $250,000.

The summit also featured technical sessions on institutional capacity building, including the deployment of GESI diagnostic tools, investment readiness frameworks, and data capture systems to help public and private sector institutions integrate gender‑lens investing into their operations.

In his keynote address, “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. He noted 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 presented 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 reflects 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. Discussions focused on how the new scorecard could shape future investment strategies and inclusion policies.