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The Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) has announced that the fifth edition of its Gender and Inclusion Summit, scheduled for September 7–9, 2026, in Abuja, will focus on translating policies and commitments into measurable outcomes for Nigerians at the last mile, the centre’s executive director said.
Dr Osasuyi Dirisu, Executive Director of PIC and Convener of the Gender and Inclusion Summit, told News Central on Thursday that the summit is structured to move from agenda-setting to action.
“The gender summit is structured into three days. So the first day, which is day zero, is an academic conference. So we’re bringing academics from all over Nigeria to examine the evidence for innovation and then really see how that evidence can translate into decision-making for policymakers,” Dirisu said.
She added: “Then on the 8th and 9th of September, the gender summit will typically attract policymakers, development partners, private sector, academia again, innovators. We have innovation sessions, innovation bridge, and intellectual property sessions.”
.@OsasuyiDirisu, Executive Director of @policycentreng and Convener of @gender_summit, says the Gender and Inclusion Summit 2026 is a three-day event bringing together policymakers and innovators to turn research and ideas into practical solutions.#GS26 pic.twitter.com/xbcOFqA0Ly
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) August 27, 2026
Dirisu said the summit’s theme, “From Agenda to Action: Making Innovation Count for the Last Mile,” responds to the reality that many innovations fail to reach the people who need them most.
She noted that the summit would address the need for government to create a policy-enabling environment that translates conversations into concrete action.
“We live with commitment. So we come to the summit, we think about what the problems are, we can co-create solutions, live with commitments, live with real blueprints as to how we can begin to either innovate in health, in education, in agriculture, and across the different forums and roundtables that will be happening at the summit this year,” she said.
She added: “Create that policy-enabling environment for some of those conversations that emerge in the summit to translate to concrete action that we can now measure to see as improvements in the life and livelihoods of the average Nigerian and African as a whole.”
.@OsasuyiDirisu, Executive Director of @policycentreng and Convener of @gender_summit, says Nigeria has made progress in internet connectivity, digital identity, financial inclusion, and access to technology, but many Nigerians remain excluded. pic.twitter.com/OFVHxcqVgK
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) August 27, 2026
Dirisu acknowledged progress in expanding access to technology through initiatives such as digital identity registration and rural electrification but noted that a large portion of the population remains left behind.
“Given the population of Nigeria, we know that a lot of people are still left behind. And we want to have conversations about this large population of Nigerians who are still left behind and what more needs to be done, not just in terms of expanding access, but to ensure that innovation can catch up with people who are left behind,” she said.
“So we’re looking at two sets of people: people who tech-enabled innovation can reach if we expand access, but how we can also think outside the box for innovation that doesn’t necessarily need to be tech-enabled.”
