As part of it’s contributions to reshape Nigeria’s development landscape, policy advisory firm Nextier is set to host the 2025 Development Festival (DevFest) on Tuesday, September 23, 2025 in Abuja, with the ambitious theme: “Ending Poverty in Nigeria.”
The inaugural event will bring together around 200 handpicked leaders—including senior government officials, global development experts, academics, civil society advocates, entrepreneurs, and youth leaders—creating a high-level forum for practical, evidence-based dialogue and action on poverty reduction.
Sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation and supported by knowledge partners including Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), DevFest is positioned to become a cornerstone in Nigeria’s efforts to tackle deep-rooted poverty and economic disparity.
A statement issued by Nextier noted that Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region most affected by extreme poverty, with over 429 million people living on less than $2.15 per day. Despite years of academic research and targeted interventions, sustainable progress has often been hampered by fragmented implementation and underutilisation of proven solutions.
“Africa’s complex development challenges require African-led solutions, grounded in local realities and backed by evidence. DevFest aims to bridge the gap between what we know works and what is actually being done”, the statement said.
Structured for practical impact rather than abstract theorising, DevFest 2025 will feature a series of keynote speeches, expert-led plenaries, hands-on workshops, and open forums. Discussions will focus on some key areas.
These include: Diagnosing the root causes of poverty in Nigeria and broader Africa; Identifying what has worked, what has failed, and why; Co-creating actionable, scalable policies and programmes; Strengthening cross-sector partnerships for long-term impact; as well as Building governance and accountability frameworks to sustain development outcomes
Participants will be guided through real-world case studies and programme designs, evaluating the political, social, and institutional factors that influence success. The event will also explore how data and evidence can be better integrated into policy decisions and how to overcome barriers to implementation.
According to the statement: “More than just a conference, DevFest aims to become a development laboratory—a space where Nigeria’s most urgent challenges are met with innovation, collaboration, and a relentless focus on outcomes.
“Poverty isn’t inevitable—it’s a policy choice. This festival is about turning data into direction, and direction into real, measurable change.
“As Nigeria and the rest of Africa search for sustainable pathways out of poverty, the Nextier Development Festival 2025 may well set the tone for a new era of evidence-informed, locally led development.”
