Access Holdings Plc has released its 2025 Sustainability Report, highlighting significant progress in environmental sustainability, financial inclusion and corporate governance as the Group continues to integrate sustainability into its business operations.
Published on the Nigerian Exchange Limited, the report details the Group’s performance for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, showcasing measurable achievements across business, environmental and social impact.
According to the report, Access Holdings increased its green asset portfolio to N92.14 billion, representing steady growth from N72.32 billion in 2024 and N22 billion in 2021, as it advances toward its long-term target of N475 billion.
The Group also reported a 28.47 per cent reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions compared with its 2022 baseline, lowering emissions from 57,176 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024 to 49,352 tonnes in 2025. The reduction was driven largely by the deployment of solar energy across 263 bank branches and the installation of 323 solar-powered Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), primarily by Access Bank in Nigeria.
During the year under review, Access Holdings deployed N72.3 billion through its Sustainable Finance Framework to support environmentally beneficial projects, while its cumulative sustainability-focused loan portfolio grew to $1.269 billion.
The report also highlighted the Group’s contribution to financial inclusion, revealing that 2,528,117 low-income individuals gained access to finance in 2025, while 78,438 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) were added to its financing platform.
Across its operations, the Group processed 2.8 billion financial transactions, reinforcing its role in supporting Africa’s growing economy.
In support of gender-inclusive financing, Access Holdings disbursed 354,156 loans worth N67.4 billion to women and women-owned businesses, representing 24 per cent of the relevant loan portfolio.
The report further outlined the Group’s social impact initiatives, noting that 2.44 million beneficiaries were reached through programmes focused on education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability. These initiatives were implemented in partnership with organisations including UNICEF, HACEY Health Initiative and the Kenya Forest Service.
Employees also contributed 359,500 volunteer hours, with full staff participation, while more than 50,000 trees were planted during the year.
On governance, Access Holdings reported that women account for 49 per cent of its workforce, while 44.4 per cent of its Board members are female. Employee satisfaction rose to 87 per cent, surpassing the company’s 80 per cent target, while staff attrition declined from about 13 per cent to 11 per cent.
The report was prepared in line with the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (IFRS S1 and IFRS S2), with additional guidance from the GRI Standards (2021) and SASB Standards. Selected disclosures were independently assured by CSR-in-Action Consulting Limited under the ISAE 3000 (Revised) framework.
Access Holdings also reported zero material sustainability-related regulatory penalties and no cybersecurity breaches for the second consecutive year.
In addition, the Group secured US$185.38 million (N266.83 billion) in concessional funding from development finance institutions and allocated N4.8 billion from profit before tax to support sustainability initiatives.
Commenting on the report, Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, Innocent C. Ike, said the company’s sustainability strategy remains central to its long-term value creation.
“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 N92.14 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 plans to deepen the impact of its sustainability agenda by expanding its green asset portfolio toward the N475 billion target, increasing renewable energy adoption, improving emissions data through the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF) methodology, strengthening development finance partnerships and integrating climate risk more fully into financial planning.
