Our

Approach

We are not only in business to maximise shareholders’ value; we consider the social and environmental impact of every aspect of our banking operations.

Our Approach

OUR VISION

To be the world’s most Respected African Bank.

The Bank’s Sustainability strategy is focused on supporting the Bank’s vision of being the world’s most respected African bank, and enables the Bank finance and facilitate brighter futures for all of its stakeholders, through innovative services and best in class operations. It is hinged on:
 

  • Sustainable Financial Services - Developing innovative financial services that enhance the lives of its customers – enabling both our business and personal customers to reduce their environmental & social impacts and costs
  • Sustainable Economies - Facilitating and financing sustainable economic growth – leading the way on financial inclusion and education, helping develop enterprises, being at the forefront of sustainability regulation and thought leadership
  • Sustainable Societies - Supporting vibrant and successful communities in every market it works in – helping drive out corruption, promoting and protecting human rights, ensuring a healthy and rewarding working environment for its employees
  • Environmental Responsibility - Having a competitively low environmental impact for a bank in its markets - increasing the efficiency of its operations, minimising energy and resource consumption and mitigating any impacts on the environment
  • Best in Class Operations - Providing best in class expertise, tools and capabilities – helping drive down costs through automated data collection, analysis, reporting and increasing value added by identification and delivery of opportunities
Environment:

By focusing and applying our resources and experience, we have become a powerful force in managing operational impact of business on the environment by mainstreaming environmentally friendly policies into our business.

Supply Chain:

In our journey to becoming a truly sustainable enterprise, our Bank has taken a look beyond direct operations and deep into supply chain. We continue to influence the behaviour of suppliers by enforcing policies covering human rights, labour, and environment.

People and culture:

We have continued to attain business unit buy-in for a broad Environmental and Social Risk Management (ESRM) Policy which is applied in our lending decision. We also continue to pursue our aspiration to be the employer of choice in the communities where we operate.

Community:

Putting the community at the centre of everything we do is critical to our success. Our business is focused on listening to the needs of the communities in which we operate and providing genuine solutions that help improve such communities.

TIME FOOTPRINTS
 
2008
  • Business operated based on high ethical standards, respect for human rights and support for society.
  • Established CSR function in 2008.
  • Employee Volunteering fully adopted Bank wide in 2008.
2009
  • Board Of Directors approved robust CSR strategy in 2009
  • CSR Committee constituted in 2009
  • Published pioneering Sustainability Report in 2009
  • Nigerian pioneering signatory to Equator Principles, LBG, BiTC, UNPRI, UNEPFI in 2009
2010
  • Cost Benefit Analysis Study conducted on Sustainability in 2010
  • Embedded Sustainability into Corporate Philosophy in 2010
2011
  • Initiated Nigeria Sustainable Finance Week in 2011 (leading to development of Nigeria Sustainable Banking Principles)
2012
  • Partnered with relevant stakeholders to develop Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles in 2012
  • Appointed Leadership Group Member, United Nations Women Empowerment Principles in 2012
  • Appointed Member, Private Sector Delegation to the Global Fund Board in 2012
2013
  • Established Development Banking Group in 2013
  • Achieved a record high of 99% employee volunteers Bank wide in 2013
  • Appointed Chair, Steering Committee on Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles in 2013
2014
  • Emerged first in independent CSR ranking on the 3C Index in 2014
  • Developed robust Sustainability strategy themed ‘Financing the Future’ in 2014
  • Appointed Board member, Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria in 2014
  • Appointed co-Chair United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative, Africa & Middle East Task Force, and member Global Steering Committee in 2014
2015
  • Appointed Member, WeConnect National Advisory Board, Nigeria in 2015
  • Appointed co-Chair United Nations Global Compact Local Network Steering Committee in 2015
  • Appointed Board member, Nigerian Business Coalition on Sustainable Development in 2015
2016
  • Appointed co-Chair Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS in 2016
  • Pioneered waste recycling in Nigerian financial sector in 2016

At Access Bank, the Board has governance oversight for sustainability management through an established Sustainability Committee, which provides the highest level of governance. The Sustainability Committee is responsible for overseeing the delivery of the Bank’s sustainable business strategy, to ensure the Bank’s sustainability ambitions in each of its strategic priorities are achieved. Access Bank Plc is committed to implementing the best practice standards of corporate governance for sustainability. The subsidiaries comply with the statutory and regulatory requirements of their host countries and also align their governance framework to the Bank’s governance framework. The Board is responsible for embedding high standards of Sustainability across the Group which is essential for the enterprise.