Access Holdings PLC is reinforcing its position as a regional frontrunner in climate-resilient finance by participating in the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Regional Roundtable on Sustainable Finance for Africa and the Middle East.
The event, taking place in Marrakech, Morocco, from 6 to 7 May 2025, brings together financial institutions, regulators, sustainability experts, and policymakers from across the region to explore how finance can support environmental integrity, social inclusion, and economic resilience.
Access Holdings is being represented at the high-level roundtable by three senior executives: Chief Brand and Communications Officer, Amaechi Okobi; Group Head of Credit Administration, Governance & Project Monitoring, Edmund Otaigbe; and Group Head of Products and Segments, Njideka Esomeju. The delegation is expected to draw on the group’s broad operational footprint across 24 countries and its service to over 60 million customers in advocating for practical, inclusive sustainability solutions.
The roundtable is examining major sustainability topics, including climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, finance models that promote biodiversity and nature-positive outcomes, frameworks for a just transition to low-carbon economies, financial inclusion, and innovative tools to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
By taking part in the discussions, Access Holdings is demonstrating its continued alignment with international climate objectives and its role as a leading financial institution committed to driving sustainable and inclusive economic transformation across Africa and the Middle East.
Over the course of the two-day summit, the Access Holdings team will contribute to sessions focusing on unlocking private sector capital for green development, helping high-emission industries navigate low-carbon transitions, and financing climate resilience efforts tailored for vulnerable populations and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Special attention will be paid to mechanisms that ensure underserved communities are not sidelined in the move towards a greener economy.
The roundtable also features a notable roster of speakers, including Mahmoud Mohieldin, the UN Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda; Louise Gardiner, Senior Operations Officer at the International Finance Corporation (IFC); Lily Burge, Policy Manager at the Climate Bonds Initiative; Samuel Tiriongo, Director of Research and Policy at the Kenya Bankers Association; Walid Ali, General Manager of Sustainability at the Central Bank of Egypt; and Yasser Mounsif, Director of Issuers at the Moroccan Capital Market Authority.
These experts, alongside Access Holdings’ executives, are expected to help shape actionable strategies to mobilise finance in support of regional and global sustainability targets.
This involvement reaffirms Access Holdings’ long-standing dedication to responsible finance and innovative economic development. Since its transition into a holding company structure in 2022, the group has intensified its focus on sustainable business practices across its banking, lending, payments, insurance, and pension services.
Through its flagship subsidiary, Access Bank PLC, which runs one of Africa’s most extensive retail banking networks, the group has embedded sustainability into its operational ethos.
Participation in the UNEP FI roundtable marks another step in its ambition to drive meaningful change in Africa’s financial ecosystem and support the global movement towards a net-zero and equitable future.
