Lagos, Nigeria – Access Holdings Plc has published its Sustainability Report for the year ended December 31, 2025, on the Nigerian Exchange Limited. The report details how the Group is translating its sustainability commitments into measurable environmental, social, and business outcomes.
Access Bank Plc, the Group’s largest subsidiary, accounted for a significant portion of the reported achievements. The report highlights a strategic transition from scale to value by embedding sustainability into capital allocation, risk management, and product development.
Expansion of Green Assets and Emission Cuts
The Group's green asset portfolio grew from ₦22 billion in 2021 and ₦72.32 billion in 2024 to ₦92.14 billion at year-end 2025. During the year, Access Holdings deployed ₦72.3 billion under its Sustainable Finance Framework to eligible projects, growing its cumulative sustainability-focused loan book to US$1.269 billion.
Operational emissions fell to 49,352 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from 57,176 tonnes in 2024. This reduction was supported by branch solarisation across 263 locations and the deployment of 323 solar-powered ATMs, primarily across Access Bank in Nigeria.
The Group applies the operational-control approach under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to account for emissions across its African footprint, with Access Bank representing the largest share.
Social Impact and Financial Inclusion
Access Holdings extended financial access to 2,528,117 low-income individuals and onboarded 78,438 new MSMEs onto its financing platform in 2025. The Group processed 2.8 billion transactions during the year, supporting its role as core financial infrastructure for the real economy.
Gender-lens lending progressed with 354,156 loans extended to women and women-owned businesses, totaling ₦67.4 billion. This represents 24 per cent of the relevant loan portfolio.
Corporate Social Investment programmes reached 2,439,480 beneficiaries across education, health, entrepreneurship, and the environment. These initiatives were delivered alongside partners including UNICEF, HACEY Health Initiative, and the Kenya Forest Service. Employees recorded 359,500 volunteer hours with 100 per cent participation, while more than 50,000 trees were planted.
Governance and Sustainable Funding
The report was prepared using the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (IFRS S1 and IFRS S2) as the primary framework. The GRI Standards (2021) and SASB Standards were applied as complementary references, with selected disclosures independently assured by CSR-in-Action Consulting Limited under ISAE 3000 (Revised).
Access Holdings mobilised US$185.38 million, equivalent to ₦266.83 billion, in concessional funding from development finance institutions. The Group also allocated a sustainability budget of ₦4.8 billion from profit before tax.
Women represent 49 per cent of the workforce, and the Access Holdings Board comprised nine directors with 44.4 per cent female representation. Employee satisfaction rose to 87 per cent against an 80 per cent target, while attrition eased from approximately 13 per cent to 11 per cent.
Innocent C. Ike, Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, stated that the 2025 Sustainability Report reflects the discipline with which the Group is converting scale into value. He noted that these outcomes show sustainability is central to how the organization creates value, manages risk, and supports inclusive growth across Africa.
