The appointment marks AIIG’s evolution from a collaborative network of national impact investing ecosystem builders into a continental platform with dedicated executive leadership.
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Africa Impact Investing Group (AIIG) has appointed Etemore Glover as its pioneer Chief Executive Officer, in a significant milestone in its evolution from a collaborative network of national impact investing ecosystem builders into a continental platform with dedicated executive leadership.
Glover, who previously served for seven years as the pioneer Chief Executive Officer of the Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) in Nigeria, will lead AIIG’s strategic direction, establish its institutional foundations and advance a unified continental agenda for impact investing. She will oversee programmes aimed at expanding investor participation, accelerating deal flow, strengthening market intermediaries and deepening the adoption of impact measurement and management standards across African markets.
Three pillars for AIIG’s next phase
Under Glover, AIIG will focus on Ecosystem Building, Capital Mobilisation and Policy Influence. Ecosystem Building is aimed at strengthening Africa’s impact investing infrastructure through better institutions, governance, knowledge and capacity. Capital Mobilisation targets catalytic and domestic capital for African impact enterprises, using innovative financing and stronger investment pipelines. Policy Influence seeks to embed impact principles in national and continental policies through advocacy, dialogue and high-level engagement with governments and regulators.
Announcing the appointment on behalf of the Board, Elias Masilela, Chair of AIIG, said: “On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to announce Etemore’s appointment as our pioneer CEO. Her deep commitment to building robust infrastructure, unlocking domestic and international capital, as well as advocating for impact-driven policy aligns perfectly with AIIG’s strategic vision. We are confident that under Etemore’s leadership, AIIG will accelerate positive economic and social transformation across Africa.”
Glover said she was honoured to serve as AIIG’s first Chief Executive Officer and grateful to the Board and the group’s national partners for their trust. “My work in Nigeria taught me that impact investing delivers when it moves from concept to working institutions, sound policy, and capital that reaches enterprises on the ground. AIIG exists to do that at a continental scale,” she said. “Together with our partners, we will strengthen national ecosystems, mobilise more African and international capital towards measurable outcomes, and help build impact economies that are African-led and locally owned.”
A foundation built since 2023
AIIG is a regional collaboration of African National Advisory Boards and national impact investing ecosystem builders, serving as a continent-wide platform within the GSG Impact network. Its national members are drawn from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia, and it works with Task Forces in Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Mauritius and Senegal. Its goal is to mobilise capital for impact by strengthening national ecosystems and channelling finance towards initiatives that deliver both financial returns and measurable social or environmental impact.
AIIG envisions thriving African economies in which impact is embedded in national policy, business strategy and investment decision-making. Its mission is to accelerate impact investing across its member countries and the continent, directing capital towards opportunities that deliver meaningful impact alongside financial returns. Its priorities include strengthening collaboration among members and driving regional initiatives in areas such as convening and knowledge exchange, policy engagement and research, with the Africa Impact Summit serving as its flagship platform.
The group was launched on 13 July 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa, at the inaugural Africa Impact Summit, hosted by Impact Investing South Africa in collaboration with other GSG Impact National Partners from Ghana, Nigeria and Zambia, as well as Task Forces across Africa. As a GSG Impact Regional Partner, AIIG brings together national impact investing ecosystem builders from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia.
Since its launch, AIIG has organised four summits attracting more than 1,400 delegates and hosted four deal rooms that engaged 49 impact funds, ultimately linking investors with 589 African enterprises. Its members have piloted initiatives such as the $75 million Ci-Gaba Fund of Funds, the Zambia Small Business Initiative, the Nigeria Wholesale Impact Investment Fund and the SCALE framework developed by Argidius.
To optimise resource distribution and bolster regional data, AIIG is also spearheading Africa’s inaugural continent-wide market sizing study, standardising research methodologies across the region. The appointment of its inaugural CEO builds on this foundation, positioning the group to strengthen its institutional capacity, deepen collaboration among its members and expand its impact across Africa.
AIIG will continue stewarding continental research and intelligence, convening flagship events such as the Africa Impact Summit, and advancing regional financing initiatives that channel impact capital towards Africa’s most urgent social and environmental priorities.
About the new CEO
Glover is an African impact investing and development finance practitioner and institution builder with nearly a decade of experience shaping the institutions, policies, partnerships and capital mobilisation mechanisms that support impact investing across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. During her seven years as pioneer CEO of IIF, she played a defining role in building Nigeria’s impact investing ecosystem. Earlier in her career, she held corporate and investment banking roles at FBN Merchant Bankers Limited and Zenith Bank PLC.
Glover’s involvement with AIIG predates her appointment. IIF, which she led as CEO, is Nigeria’s GSG Impact National Partner and was among the national partners that collaborated on the group’s launch in Cape Town in July 2023.