by NIyi
Access Holdings Plc has expanded its green asset portfolio to ₦92.14 billion while reducing operational greenhouse gas emissions by 28.47 per cent from its 2022 baseline, according to its 2025 Sustainability Report released on the Nigerian Exchange.
The report highlights the financial group’s efforts to integrate sustainability into its operations, lending, governance and investment strategy across its African markets.
The company’s green asset portfolio increased from ₦72.32 billion in 2024 to ₦92.14 billion in 2025, continuing its progress toward a long-term target of ₦475 billion. During the year, the Group also deployed ₦72.3 billion under its Sustainable Finance Framework to environmentally beneficial projects and grew its cumulative sustainability-focused loan portfolio to US$1.269 billion.
Access Holdings attributed its emissions reduction to investments in renewable energy infrastructure, including the installation of solar power systems at 263 branches and the deployment of 323 solar-powered ATMs, mainly in Nigeria. Operational emissions declined from 57,176 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024 to 49,352 tonnes in 2025.
Beyond climate action, the report showed expanded financial inclusion, with approximately 2.53 million low-income individuals gaining access to finance during the year. The Group also onboarded 78,438 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) onto its financing platform and processed 2.8 billion financial transactions across its operations.
The bank also increased support for women entrepreneurs, disbursing 354,156 loans worth ₦67.4 billion to women and women-owned businesses. These loans accounted for 24 per cent of the relevant loan portfolio.
Corporate social investment programmes reached more than 2.4 million beneficiaries in education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and environmental initiatives through partnerships with organisations including UNICEF, HACEY Health Initiative and the Kenya Forest Service. Employees contributed more than 359,500 volunteer hours, while over 50,000 trees were planted during the year.
The report also highlights improvements in workplace diversity and employee engagement. Women now account for 49 per cent of the workforce, while female representation on the Board stands at 44.4 per cent. Employee satisfaction rose to 87 per cent, exceeding the company’s target of 80 per cent, while staff attrition declined to about 11 per cent.
To strengthen transparency, the sustainability report was prepared using the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (IFRS S1 and IFRS S2), supported by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and SASB Standards. Selected disclosures received independent assurance from CSR-in-Action Consulting Limited under ISAE 3000 (Revised).
According to the report, climate and environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks are integrated into the Group’s governance and lending processes, with sustainability oversight provided by the Board Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Board Risk Management Committee.
Access Holdings also reported zero material sustainability-related regulatory penalties and zero cybersecurity breaches for the second consecutive year.
The Group mobilised US$185.38 million (₦266.83 billion) in concessional funding from development finance institutions and allocated ₦4.8 billion from profit before tax to support sustainability initiatives.
Group Chief Executive Officer, Innocent C. Ike, said the results demonstrate that sustainability has become central to the company’s business model.
“Our 2025 Sustainability Report reflects the discipline with which we are converting scale into value. We reduced operational emissions by 28.47 per cent, grew our green asset portfolio to ₦92.14 billion and extended financial access to about 2.5 million low-income individuals. These outcomes show that sustainability is not separate from our business; it is central to how we create value, manage risk and support inclusive growth across Africa,” he said.
Looking ahead, Access Holdings said it plans to accelerate investment in low-carbon and climate-resilient assets, improve emissions reporting through the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) methodology, expand renewable energy adoption and deepen climate finance partnerships as it works toward its long-term sustainability targets.
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