IIF TARGETS PENSION FUNDS, INSURERS FOR SME FINANCING

The Impact Investors Foundation is seeking to unlock more domestic institutional funding for small and medium-sized enterprises in Nigeria.

The foundation is targeting Pension Fund Administrators, insurance companies and sovereign wealth institutions as potential sources of long-term capital for businesses driving economic growth.

The initiative will be discussed at the foundation’s ninth Annual Convening on Impact Investing in Lagos, themed “Unlocking Institutional Capital for Nigeria’s Impact Economy.”

Chief Executive Officer of the Impact Investors Foundation, Etemore Glover, said Nigeria needed to bring institutional investors closer to the real economy.

She noted that although some progress had been made in mobilising capital, the amount reaching businesses remained insufficient compared with the country’s development needs.

Nigeria’s pension industry alone had N31.48tn in assets under the Contributory Pension Scheme as of July 2026, according to the National Pension Commission. However, much of the money remains invested in relatively low-risk government securities.

The foundation is promoting alternative investment options, including the Wholesale Impact Investment Fund, to help PFAs and insurers invest in high-impact private businesses within the framework of revised investment guidelines.

The two-day event will also feature deal rooms where investment-ready SMEs can meet institutional investors and impact funds.

Participants are expected to discuss domestic capital mobilisation, investment structures, market infrastructure, artificial intelligence in ESG risk assessment and climate resilience.

The foundation said the goal is to encourage institutional investors to play a more active role in financing businesses that can create jobs, support inclusive growth and strengthen Nigeria’s economy.

The event will also feature the 2026 IIF Annual Impact Investing Awards, which will recognise notable contributions to Nigeria’s impact investment ecosystem.