Access Holdings Plc has expanded its green asset portfolio to N92.14 billion and reduced its operational greenhouse gas emissions by 28.47 per cent.
This is from its 2025 Sustainability Report that highlighted the financial group’s push to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles into its operations across Africa.
The report, released on the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), also showed that the Group provided financial services to about 2.53 million low-income individuals, financed 78,438 new micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and extended N67.4 billion in loans to women and women-owned businesses during the year.
Access Holdings said the report reflects measurable progress in climate action, sustainable finance, inclusive banking and community development, reinforcing its commitment to creating long-term value while supporting economic growth across its pan-African operations.
According to the report, the Group’s green asset portfolio increased from N72.32 billion in 2024 to N92.14 billion in 2025, continuing a steady rise from N22 billion in 2021. The Group is targeting a green asset portfolio of N475 billion over the long term.
During the year under review, Access Holdings deployed N72.3 billion under its Sustainable Finance Framework to environmentally beneficial projects, while its cumulative sustainability-focused loan book rose to $1.269 billion.
The report also showed significant progress in the Group’s decarbonisation efforts.
Operational greenhouse gas emissions declined to 49,352 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2025 from 57,176 tonnes in 2024, largely driven by the installation of solar power systems across 263 branches and the deployment of 323 solar-powered Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), mainly by Access Bank Nigeria.
On financial inclusion, the Group said it expanded access to finance for 2,528,117 low-income individuals, while onboarding 78,438 MSMEs onto its financing platform. Across its African operations, Access Holdings processed 2.8 billion financial transactions, highlighting its growing role in supporting businesses and retail customers.
The report further disclosed that the Group strengthened gender-inclusive financing by granting 354,156 loans worth N67.4 billion to women and women-owned businesses, representing 24 per cent of the relevant loan portfolio.
Beyond banking, Access Holdings said its Corporate Social Investment programmes reached 2.44 million beneficiaries through interventions in education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability in partnership with organisations including UNICEF, HACEY Health Initiative and the Kenya Forest Service.
Employees contributed 359,500 volunteer hours during the year with full staff participation, while more than 50,000 trees were planted across various environmental projects.
The Group also reported improvements in workplace diversity and employee engagement. Women accounted for 49 per cent of its workforce, while female representation on the Board stood at 44.4 per cent. Employee satisfaction rose to 87 per cent, exceeding the Group’s target of 80 per cent, while staff attrition declined from about 13 per cent to 11 per cent.
Access Holdings said sustainability governance has been fully integrated into its business strategy, with climate and ESG risks incorporated into capital planning and lending decisions through its Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP) and ESG credit assessment framework.
The Group added that it recorded zero material sustainability-related regulatory penalties and zero cybersecurity breaches for the second consecutive year.
To support sustainable financing, Access Holdings mobilised $185.38 million, equivalent to ₦266.83 billion, in concessional funding from development finance institutions and allocated ₦4.8 billion from profit before tax to sustainability initiatives.
Commenting on the report, Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Innocent C. Ike, said the company remains focused on delivering measurable value through sustainable business practices.
“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.”
Looking ahead, the Group said it plans to accelerate investments in low-carbon and climate-resilient assets, expand its green asset portfolio towards its ₦475 billion target, improve financed emissions reporting through the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) methodology, deepen renewable energy adoption and strengthen partnerships with development finance institutions.
The company said these initiatives are aimed at reinforcing its ambition to become Africa’s most respected financial services group while delivering sustainable value to customers, investors, communities and the broader economy.
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