Lagos, Nigeria is set to host its first-ever national ESG summit as momentum builds across Africa to integrate sustainability into core development strategies. The Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC) will convene key stakeholders on June 26 at The Art Hotel in Lagos for a landmark event focused on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) innovation. The conference, themed “Building a Prosperous Future: Unlocking Growth Opportunities Through Sustainability and ESG Innovation,” aims to reposition ESG as a central pillar in Africa’s economic and institutional transformation.
The summit is expected to draw a cross-section of participants, including policymakers, financiers, ESG practitioners, researchers, and civil society leaders. At its core is a belief gaining ground across the continent: ESG is no longer optional, it is essential. FITC’s Managing Director and CEO, Chizor Malize, emphasized this shift, describing ESG as “a business imperative,” particularly as the continent grapples with climate shocks, regulatory gaps, and systemic social challenges.
This inaugural conference places Nigeria within a growing pan-African ESG movement that is quickly gaining traction. In September, Johannesburg is scheduled to host the fifth Sustainability Summit Africa, while Lagos itself has recently seen a flurry of activity around green finance and sustainable real estate forums. These gatherings signal that ESG frameworks are being actively adapted to reflect Africa’s unique contexts and needs, evolving from global imports into homegrown strategies for growth and resilience.
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The FITC summit is not happening in isolation. In October, Johannesburg will also host the newly rebranded Sustainability & ESG Africa Conference & Expo (SEACon), expected to attract over 550 participants from across sectors. Topics on the agenda include green procurement, nature-related financial disclosures, and the critical role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in climate action. Together, such events form part of a broader continental commitment to embedding sustainability into governance, finance, and business practice.
Earlier this year (2025), Lagos also hosted the Climate Action Africa Forum (CAAF24), which spotlighted local solutions to global climate challenges. With backing from the African Development Bank and Nigeria’s sovereign wealth fund, participants championed projects like the “Billion Trees for Africa” campaign and showcased youth-led innovations in clean tech and agri-solutions—further reinforcing the region’s grassroots climate leadership.
Central to FITC’s sustainability agenda is its Sustainability & ESG Institute, launched in 2024. Designed to serve as a pan-African hub for policy development, technical assistance, and peer learning, the institute aims to support the financial sector in aligning with global ESG benchmarks, including the IFRS S1 and S2 disclosure standards and the sustainable banking principles. Its mission is to ensure that ESG becomes not just a compliance obligation, but a driver of institutional excellence.
At the institute’s unveiling, sustainability leaders such as Professor Kenneth Amaeshi and Sahara Group’s Ejiro Gray called for a bold departure from box-ticking ESG. They urged African institutions to embed sustainability into decision-making at every level, especially as the continent remains highly vulnerable to climate risks despite contributing minimally to global emissions. That call is already being answered in markets like Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa, where banks and financial institutions are increasingly deploying green loans and climate-smart financial products.
Inclusivity is also a defining feature of Africa’s ESG evolution. SMEs and young innovators are being recognized as indispensable agents of change. Events like SEACon now include dedicated tracks for SME engagement and student innovation awards, and FITC’s summit is expected to highlight how grassroots enterprises can access sustainable financing, tap into carbon markets, and adopt effective governance models. Given that SMEs account for more than 80% of Africa’s informal economy, their participation is key to achieving broad-based development outcomes.
The conference also aims to spotlight the regulatory infrastructure needed to support ESG growth. In partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities and Exchange Commission, FITC is advocating for more robust ESG reporting standards, updated audit mechanisms, and capital adequacy regulations aligned with green finance principles. Simultaneously, legal experts are warning of a rise in ESG-related disputes, especially across borders—an emerging risk that underscores the need for clearer governance protocols and enforceable regional standards.
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As Lagos prepares for this high stakes gathering, the FITC ESG Conference stands out not just as a national first, but as a regional turning point. It offers a timely blueprint for governments, financial institutions, and civil society across Africa to shift from ESG rhetoric to implementation. At stake is the continent’s ability to decarbonize, build resilient economies, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in an era of mounting global uncertainty.
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