By| Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja
The Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) has called for stronger action, sustainable financing and accountability mechanisms to ensure that policies and innovations translate into measurable improvements for underserved Nigerians, particularly women, young people and persons with disabilities.
The Centre made the call as it announced the fifth edition of its flagship Gender and Inclusion Summit (GS26), scheduled to hold from September 7 to 9, 2026, in Abuja, under the theme, “From Agenda to Action: Making Innovation Count for the Last Mile.”
Speaking at a press briefing, Associate Director, Programmes, PIC, Adekemi Omole, said the 2026 summit builds on four years of conversations on gender equality and inclusion, but would now place greater emphasis on turning commitments into concrete and measurable impact.
Board Member of PIC, Mrs Maryam Uwais, MFR, stressed the need to move beyond policy commitments to creating the systems required to deliver meaningful outcomes.
Uwais said progress in gender inclusion would require stronger institutions, sustainable financing, evidence-based interventions and accountability mechanisms capable of reaching people and communities furthest from opportunities.
Also speaking, Executive Director of PIC and Convener of the Gender and Inclusion Summit, Dr Osasuyi Dirisu, said GS26 would focus on strengthening the pathways through which innovative solutions move from conception to scale.
She said the summit would prioritise inclusive design, evidence-based approaches and accountability while bringing stakeholders together to develop practical roadmaps for addressing structural barriers and expanding access to essential services.
“At its core, GS26 is a call to ensure that innovation delivers real value where it matters most — at the last mile. GS26 are designed for depth and action,” Dirisu said.
Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), Dr Tayo Aduloju, called for innovations capable of surviving the realities confronting underserved communities and delivering sustainable change.
Aduloju said addressing Nigeria’s last-mile challenges would require collective efforts from innovators, investors, businesses, philanthropies and governments.
“We need innovations that scale for the last mile, and innovations that make last-mile intervention possible. If it counts at the last mile, then our future will be radically different from our past,” he said.
Chairperson of the GS26 Technical Advisory Committee, Dr Amina Dorayi, said the impact of the summit would extend beyond the three-day event, identifying the Purple Book as an important accountability and knowledge product.
According to her, the publication would transform discussions, lessons and commitments generated at the summit into practical recommendations capable of influencing policies and driving real-world change.
Representing the Ministry of Women Affairs, Hadiza Zubairu Gamawa, Special Adviser, Policy to the Honourable Minister, said the summit had continued to contribute to national conversations and policy development.
Gamawa noted that lessons from GS25 had contributed to discussions around strengthening support for families and vulnerable communities, expressing optimism that GS26 would help shape Nigeria’s next National Gender Policy through inclusive dialogue and stakeholder engagement.
The Gender and Inclusion Summit brings together stakeholders from government, business, development organisations, academia, civil society and communities to advance gender equality, social inclusion, innovation and systems change.
Since its debut in 2022, the summit has provided a platform for dialogue, evidence sharing, policy engagement and collaborative action towards building a more inclusive society.
The Policy Innovation Centre is an initiative of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and describes itself as Africa’s first national institutionalised behavioural initiative supporting government and other stakeholders to make behaviourally informed decisions and generate evidence for impact-driven interventions.
In a statement signed by Hanifa BabaSadiq, Strategic Communications Advisor, Policy Innovation Centre, the Centre reiterated its commitment to ensuring that innovation moves beyond ideas and commitments to deliver tangible benefits to communities at the last mile.
Courtesy Photos: L-R: Folahan Johnson, Member, GS26 Technical Advisory Committee (TAC); Adekemi Omole, Associate Director, Programs, Policy Innovation Centre (PIC); Dr. Nnenna Nwankwo, Representative, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology; Maryam Uwais, Board Member, Policy Innovation Centre (PIC); Dr. Osasuyi Dirisu, Executive Director, Policy Innovation Centre (PIC); Dr. Tayo Aduloju, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG); Dr. Amina Dorayi, Chairperson of the GS-26 TAC and Regional Portfolio Director, Pathfinder International, West and Central Africa: Hadiza Zubairu Gamawa, Special Adviser, Policy, Honourable Minister of Women Affairs; Emmanuel Essien, Director, Youth Health, Federal Ministry of Youth Development;Eseoghene Adams, Gender and Inclusion Lead, Policy Innovation Centre.
