Glory Ohagwu
Nigeria’s Capital, Abuja is set to host policymakers, development partners, private sector actors, academics, Civil Society Leaders, and grassroots advocates to co-create scalable solutions that advance gender equality and social inclusion across Africa, at the Gender & Inclusion Summit 2025 (GS25) scheduled for September 3–4 2025.
The two-day event with the theme “New Voices, New Approaches for Accelerating an Inclusive Society” will feature presentations from global participants, including Oley Dibba-Wadda, Founder and CEO of the Gam Africa Institute for Leadership (GAIL), The Gambia.
Dr. Osasuyi Dirisu, Executive Director of the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) says “Having Oley Dibba-Wadda with us sets the right tone for the summit. She brings over 25 years of leadership across Africa, from mentoring youths to advancing women’s leadership, and perfectly embodies the summit’s theme.”
Also delivering a keynote address is the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, while the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, will spotlight “New Approaches for Expanding Access to Quality Education and Inclusive Development” in a fire side chat.
Discussions at GS25 will address critical areas such as improving access to education for out-of-school children, empowering youth amid economic challenges and promoting safe and inclusive urban mobility.
Equitable growth
Other thematic areas include, leveraging economic diplomacy for equitable growth and addressing systemic barriers to maternal health through Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) reforms.
The summit will feature interactive plenaries, breakout sessions, roundtables, exhibitions, abstract presentations, and an innovation session, designed to translate research and evidence into actionable solutions while elevating diverse voices.
The Policy Innovation Centre (PIC), host of GS25, is Africa’s first national institutionalised behavioural initiative supporting governments and stakeholders to make evidence-informed decisions.
Conceptualised in 2022, GS25 is held annually to explore transformative ways of advancing gender equality, social inclusion, and gender-responsive governance across the continent.
The PIC is an initiative of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), one of Africa’s leading think tanks redefining policy advocacy.
Lateefah Ibrahim