Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) is set to host the 4th edition of the Gender and Inclusion Summit, christened GS-25, on September 3 and 4, 2025 in Abuja.

The summit is expected to convene over 1,000 in-person and virtual participants to explore urgent solutions for building a more inclusive society, a statement from the organisation stated.

With the theme: “New Voices and New Approaches for Accelerating an Inclusive Society,” this year’s summit, the organisation said, will spotlight bold strategies to address mounting challenges such as the shifting financial landscape.

Besides other issues to be discussed will include: Unequal access to equitable healthcare, economic inequality, housing insecurity, climate challenges, educational inequity, and the exclusion of marginalised groups, particularly women, persons with disabilities, and youth.

GS-25, according to the organisers, will feature interactive plenaries, roundtables, thematic breakout sessions, exhibitions, oral and poster presentations as well as a learning workshop.

Confirmed participants include policymakers, civil society leaders, development agencies, youth advocates, the private sector, academia, diplomats, and grassroots organisers — all working to co-create scalable and inclusive solutions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Since its inception in 2022, the summit, PIC said, has become a premier pan-African platform championing gender-transformative policies, digital inclusion, and behavioural insights in governance.

The 2025 edition is expected to build on this legacy, integrating evidence-based approaches and fresh voices into high-level dialogue.

“This summit is more than a convening. It’s a time to pause, reflect, learn, refuel, and refire. It’s a call to action to reimagine Africa’s development path through equity and inclusion,” said the Executive Director, PIC, Dr. OsasuyiDirisu.

Some key themes for this year’s summit, he said, include advancing gender equity through education, women in leadership and governance, equitable access to healthcare, inclusive technology and digital rights.

Others are: Sustainable agriculture and food systems, creative economy and cultural inclusion as well as  legal reforms with men as allies in gender justice. The summit will be held in a hybrid format to enable global participation.

PIC is Africa’s first national institutionalisedbehavioural initiative, supporting governments and stakeholders in making evidence-based, behaviourally informed decisions. An initiative of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), the PIC was established with support from the Gates Foundation.

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