Access Holdings Plc has published its Sustainability Report for the year ended December 31, 2025, on the Nigerian Exchange Limited. The report demonstrates how the Group is translating its sustainability commitments into measurable business, environmental, and social outcomes across its African footprint.
The Group's largest subsidiary, Access Bank Plc, accounted for a significant portion of the reported progress. During the year, Access Holdings deployed ₦72.3 billion under its Sustainable Finance Framework to eligible environmentally beneficial projects, growing its cumulative sustainability-focused loan book to $1.269 billion.
Operational Emissions and Branch Solarisation
Operational emissions fell to 49,352 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2025, down from 57,176 tonnes in 2024. This reduction was supported by branch solarisation across 263 locations and the deployment of 323 solar-powered ATMs, largely across Access Bank in Nigeria.
The Group applies the operational-control approach under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to account for emissions. Sales-facing staff in the banking subsidiary now carry green-portfolio targets within their individual performance measures to align daily operations with these environmental goals.
Financial Inclusion and Gender-Lens Lending
Beyond environmental metrics, the report highlights the Group's contribution to inclusive economic participation. Access Holdings onboarded 78,438 new MSMEs onto its financing platform and processed 2.8 billion transactions during the year, supporting Africa's real economy.
Gender-lens lending also progressed, with 354,156 loans extended to women and women-owned businesses. These loans totalled ₦67.4 billion, which represents 24% of the relevant loan portfolio.
Social Impact and Governance Framework
The Group's 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% participation, while more than 50,000 trees were planted. Women represent 49% of the workforce, and the Access Holdings Board comprised nine directors with 44.4% female representation.
Employee satisfaction rose to 87% against an 80% target, while attrition eased from about 13% to about 11%. To strengthen credibility, the report was prepared using the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards (IFRS S1 and IFRS S2) as the primary framework, with GRI and SASB standards as complementary references.
Risk Management and Concessional Funding
Selected disclosures were independently assured by CSR-in-Action Consulting Limited under ISAE 3000 (Revised) on a hybrid reasonable and limited assurance basis. Climate and ESG risk is reflected in capital planning through the ICAAP, while an ESG Toolkit is embedded in the credit-approval system to screen facilities against IFC Performance Standards and the Equator Principles.
The Group reported zero material regulatory penalties relating to sustainability for a second consecutive year and zero cybersecurity breaches. It allocated a sustainability budget of ₦4.8 billion from profit before tax.
Commenting on the report, Innocent C. Ike, Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings Plc, said that the 2025 Sustainability Report reflects the discipline with which the Group is converting scale into value. He noted that sustainability is central to how the institution creates value, manages risk, and supports inclusive growth across Africa.
Looking ahead, the Group will focus on accelerating the transition of its portfolio towards low-carbon and climate-resilient assets. It plans to improve data quality for financed and Scope 3 emissions through the adoption of the PCAF methodology, scale renewable-energy adoption, and deepen development finance partnerships.
