Key points
- Access Holdings increased its green asset portfolio to ₦92.14 billion in 2025 while reducing operational emissions by 28.47 per cent.
- The group provided financial access to about 2.53 million low-income individuals and financed more than 78,000 MSMEs.
- It mobilised ₦266.83 billion in concessional funding and reported zero material sustainability-related regulatory penalties.
Main story
Access Holdings Plc says it expanded its green asset portfolio to ₦92.14 billion and reduced operational greenhouse gas emissions by 28.47 per cent in 2025, as it deepened the integration of sustainability into its business operations.
The company disclosed this in its 2025 Sustainability Report released on the Nigerian Exchange Limited.
According to the report, the green asset portfolio increased from ₦72.32 billion in 2024, while cumulative sustainability-focused lending reached 1.269 billion dollars under the group’s Sustainable Finance Framework.
The report showed that operational greenhouse gas emissions declined to 49,352 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from 57,176 tonnes recorded in 2024.
Access Holdings attributed the reduction largely to the solarisation of 263 branches and the deployment of 323 solar-powered automated teller machines across its operations.
The group also expanded financial inclusion by providing access to finance for about 2.53 million low-income individuals and onboarding 78,438 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) onto its financing platform.
It processed about 2.8 billion transactions during the year and extended 354,156 loans valued at ₦67.4 billion to women and women-owned businesses.
The report further showed that the group’s corporate social investment programmes reached more than 2.43 million beneficiaries across education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and environmental initiatives.
Employees contributed 359,500 volunteer hours with full workforce participation, while more than 50,000 trees were planted during the year.
Access Holdings said women accounted for 49 per cent of its workforce, while female directors represented 44.4 per cent of the board.
Employee satisfaction rose to 87 per cent, exceeding the group’s target of 80 per cent, while staff attrition declined to about 11 per cent.
The company said its sustainability reporting adopted the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards as the primary reporting framework, supported by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) standards.
It added that selected disclosures received independent assurance under ISAE 3000 (Revised).
According to the report, sustainability oversight is embedded within board governance, risk management and credit approval processes through dedicated board committees and an ESG screening framework aligned with IFC Performance Standards and the Equator Principles.
The group also reported zero material sustainability-related regulatory penalties and zero cybersecurity breaches during the year.
Access Holdings mobilised 185.38 million dollars, equivalent to ₦266.83 billion, in concessional funding from development finance institutions and allocated ₦4.8 billion from profit before tax to sustainability initiatives.
Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr Innocent Ike, said the results demonstrated how the company was embedding sustainability into value creation, risk management and inclusive growth across Africa.
The group said it would continue expanding its green asset portfolio towards its ₦475 billion target while strengthening climate risk management, renewable energy deployment and financed emissions reporting.
The issues
Financial institutions are increasingly integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles into their operations as investors, regulators and development finance institutions place greater emphasis on sustainable finance, climate resilience and responsible lending.
What’s being said
Access Holdings said its “2025 performance reflects progress in sustainable finance, emissions reduction and financial inclusion, with sustainability now integrated into governance, capital allocation and business operations.”
The group said it “would continue expanding climate-resilient investments, strengthening ESG risk management and improving sustainability reporting across its African operations.”
What’s next
Access Holdings plans to grow its green asset portfolio towards ₦475 billion, adopt the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) methodology for financed emissions, deepen development finance partnerships and further integrate climate risk into financial planning.
Bottom line
Access Holdings’ latest sustainability report highlights continued investment in green finance, financial inclusion and climate action as the group positions sustainability as a core driver of long-term business growth and resilience.
