Access Holdings Grows Green Assets to ₦92.14bn, Cuts Carbon Emissions by 28.47% – Sustainability Report
LAGOS – Access Holdings Plc has expanded its green asset portfolio to ₦92.14 billion while reducing its operational greenhouse gas emissions by 28.47 per cent, according to its 2025 Sustainability Report, underscoring the Group's commitment to sustainable finance, climate action and inclusive economic growth across Africa.
The report, released through the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), highlights significant progress in environmental sustainability, financial inclusion, gender-lens lending and community investment during the financial year ended December 31, 2025.
According to the report, the Group's green asset portfolio increased from ₦72.32 billion in 2024 to ₦92.14 billion at the end of 2025, marking steady progress towards its long-term target of ₦475 billion. During the year, Access Holdings deployed ₦72.3 billion under its Sustainable Finance Framework to environmentally beneficial projects, while its cumulative sustainability-focused loan portfolio grew to US$1.269 billion.
The report also revealed that operational greenhouse gas emissions declined to 49,352 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, down from 57,176 tonnes recorded in 2024. The reduction was largely driven by the installation of solar power systems across 263 branches and the deployment of 323 solar-powered automated teller machines (ATMs), primarily by Access Bank Nigeria.
Beyond environmental performance, the financial services group expanded access to finance for 2.53 million low-income individuals and onboarded 78,438 new micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) onto its financing platform during the year.
Access Holdings also processed 2.8 billion financial transactions across its operations, reinforcing its role in supporting Africa's growing economy.
The report highlighted continued support for women entrepreneurs through gender-lens lending, with 354,156 loans valued at ₦67.4 billion extended to women and women-owned businesses. These loans accounted for 24 per cent of the relevant loan portfolio.
On social impact, the Group's Corporate Social Investment programmes reached 2.44 million beneficiaries through initiatives in education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability. The programmes were implemented in collaboration with partners including UNICEF, HACEY Health Initiative and the Kenya Forest Service.
Employees contributed 359,500 volunteer hours with full staff participation, while more than 50,000 trees were planted during the reporting period.
The report further showed improvements in workforce diversity and employee engagement. Women now account for 49 per cent of the Group's workforce, while female representation on the Board stands at 44.4 per cent. Employee satisfaction increased to 87 per cent, surpassing the Group's target of 80 per cent, while staff attrition declined from about 13 per cent to 11 per cent.
To enhance transparency and credibility, the sustainability report was prepared in accordance with the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (IFRS S1 and IFRS S2), complemented by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards (2021) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) Standards. Selected disclosures were independently assured by CSR-in-Action Consulting Limited under the ISAE 3000 (Revised) framework.
Access Holdings said sustainability governance remains embedded in its corporate decision-making process, with oversight provided by the Board Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Board Risk Management Committee. Climate and environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks are also integrated into capital planning and credit approval processes.
The Group reported zero material sustainability-related regulatory penalties and zero cybersecurity breaches for the second consecutive year.
In addition, Access Holdings secured US$185.38 million (₦266.83 billion) in concessional funding from development finance institutions and committed ₦4.8 billion from profit before tax to sustainability initiatives during the year.
Commenting on the report, Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Innocent C. Ike, said the company remains committed to integrating sustainability into its business strategy.
"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, the Group said it would accelerate the transition of its portfolio towards low-carbon and climate-resilient investments, improve measurement of financed emissions through the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) methodology, expand renewable energy adoption, strengthen development finance partnerships and further integrate climate risk into financial planning.
Access Holdings said the initiatives align with its long-term vision of becoming Africa's most respected financial services group while delivering sustainable value to customers, shareholders, communities and the broader African economy.
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