The 2nd edition of the LAPO Microfinance Bank (LAPO MFB) Sustainable Finance Conference brought together policymakers, financial leaders and sustainability advocates at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, on October 31, 2025, to explore how Nigeria’s financial system can drive inclusive growth while addressing the realities of climate change.
The conference, theme, “Microfinance for Climate Resilience — Empowering Communities, Driving Innovation, Shaping Policy,” underscored the growing need to embed sustainability into financial systems to build a resilient and inclusive economy.
Chairperson of LAPO’s ESG Board Committee, Angela Omeiza, said finance must go beyond profit-making to embrace purpose-driven impact.
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“At LAPO MfB, we believe finance should empower people economically while safeguarding the environment and promoting social well-being,” she said.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Franklin Nnaemeka Ngwu of the Lagos Business School stressed that microfinance institutions play a pivotal role in advancing climate resilience.
“By channeling capital towards renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and green enterprises, microfinance can become a catalyst for climate-smart development,” he said.
The Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was represented by Kazeem Adegboyega, Managing Director of Ibile Microfinance Bank. In his statement, he unveiled details of the state’s $400 million Waste-to-Energy Project in Epe, describing it as a bold step toward sustainable urban management.
The discussions resonated with global concerns about climate financing. According to the Climate Policy Initiative’s Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2024, total global climate finance stood at $1.46 trillion in 2021/2022 — still far below the $5 trillion required annually to meet global net-zero targets. The OECD recently confirmed that developed nations have only just met their $100 billion annual climate finance goal, exposing the vast funding gap facing developing economies.
As UN Secretary-General António Guterres observed, “Financing climate action is not charity — it is self-preservation.”
Reinforcing LAPO’s long-term commitment to sustainability, Oluremi Akande, Director of Marketing and Communications at LAPO MFB, said the bank’s ethos is anchored on empowerment, inclusion, and responsible finance.
“This event reaffirms LAPO MFB’s leadership in promoting sustainable banking practices,” Akande said. “Our brand narrative is built around empowerment, inclusion, and sustainability — values that define every initiative we undertake.”
The conference concluded with a call from stakeholders to strengthen ESG frameworks, deepen collaboration, and scale investments in renewable energy, waste management, and climate-smart enterprises — reaffirming LAPO MFB’s leadership in shaping Nigeria’s green finance transition.
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