LAGOS, Nigeria — The Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) will hold the 9th Annual Convening on Impact Investing in Lagos on November 25 and 26, 2026, with discussions focused on how Nigeria can draw more institutional capital into businesses and sectors delivering measurable economic, social and environmental outcomes.
The two-day summit will be held under the theme “Unlocking Institutional Capital for Nigeria’s Impact Economy” and will bring together investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs, development institutions, philanthropists, academics and other stakeholders.
Okay News reports that the convening will examine why relatively little of Nigeria’s large pools of domestic institutional capital, including pension funds, insurance capital, sovereign vehicles, development finance, banks and endowments, is reaching investment-ready enterprises with potential to support inclusive growth.
Etemore Glover, Chief Executive Officer of the Impact Investors Foundation, said the conference would move the conversation beyond identifying available capital to examining how institutional investors can participate more directly in the real economy.
“In recent times, we have engaged in serious conversations on how institutional capital can contribute significantly to the real economy and foster socioeconomic and environmental development in Nigeria. We must admit that some progress has been made. However, is it enough, given the scale of development challenges relative to the opportunities present in a country as large as ours?” Glover said.
“This year’s annual convening on Impact Investing will bring institutional investors into the room as partners in designing a stronger impact economy for Nigeria.”
The programme will focus on the market infrastructure and investment conditions required to increase institutional participation in impact investing.
Sessions are expected to explore how pension funds, insurance companies, sovereign investment vehicles, development finance institutions, commercial banks, endowments and wholesale investment structures can play a larger role in financing Nigerian enterprises.
The convening will also examine policies for domestic capital mobilisation, investment strategies, deal structuring and the development of a stronger pipeline of businesses capable of attracting institutional funding.
Another focus will be the quality of impact measurement and reporting, with discussions around transparency, ecosystem capacity and common standards for evaluating social and environmental outcomes.
A deal-room component will connect investment-ready small and medium-sized enterprises with institutional and impact investors, giving businesses an opportunity to engage directly with potential financiers.
The event will also formally unveil the rebranded Nigerian Impact Economy Community (NIEC), a platform intended to bring public, private and development sector participants together around a common agenda for strengthening Nigeria’s impact investment market.
Other discussions will cover climate resilience, the creative economy, investment readiness and the use of Artificial Intelligence in environmental, social and governance risk assessment.
The annual convening has been held for the past eight years as a forum for participants in Nigeria’s impact investing ecosystem to discuss investment barriers, share experience and develop approaches for mobilising more domestic capital.
The 2026 IIF Annual Impact Investing Awards will also take place during the event, with categories including Impact Investor of the Year, Social Enterprise of the Year and the Innocent Chukwuma Award for Social Impact.
Attendance for the November 25 and 26, 2026 event is by paid registration.
