IFC Awards EDGE Green Building Certification to Access Bank Nigeria

IFC Awards EDGE Green Building Certification to Access Bank Nigeria

PHOTO CAPTION:

L-R: Alexandra Celestin, Regional Industry Manager, IFC Financial Institutions Group, Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa; Njideka Esomeju, Head, Retail Banking, Access Bank PLC;  Dr. Gregory Jobome, Executive Director, Risk Management, Access Bank PLC; Dahlia Khalifa, IFC Regional Director, Central Africa and Anglophone West African, and Amaechi Okobi, Chief Communication Officer Access Holdings PLC, after presentation of IFC EDGE Certification of Access Tower to Access Bank at its Headquarters in Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos…recently.

Lagos, Nigeria – March 9, 2025: Access Bank PLC (Access Bank), a leading African bank, has received the IFC EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) Green Building Certification for its banking headquarters, called Access Tower, located in Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The EDGE Green Building certification program, supported by the Japan Government in Nigeria and globally funded by the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), with initial funding from Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, SECO, recognises Access Bank’s commitment to sustainable building practices and its efforts to reduce energy consumption, water usage, and embodied carbon in building materials.

Access Bank’s Head Office has achieved a 20per cent reduction in energy use, a 33per cent reduction in water use, and a 99 per cent reduction in embodied carbon in materials. The building features sustainability measures such as insulated roof, high-performance glass, fresh air pre-conditioning system, smart meters for energy, water-efficient faucets in bathrooms and kitchen, efficient water closets and low embodied carbon materials reflecting Access Bank’s commitment to environmental responsibility. The building implemented retrofits to meet the EDGE water standard by installing flow regulators in all their water closets, faucets and showers. These reductions in energy, water, and embodied carbon are expected to result in significant cost savings and a reduced environmental footprint for the Head Office. 

Commenting on this feat, Gregory Jobome, Executive Director, Risk Management at Access Bank, said: 

“At Access Bank, we have always understood that our purpose goes far beyond banking. We are architects of change, custodians of the future, and now, we stand proudly at the intersection of finance and environmental leadership. This building and this certification embody our vision to set a new standard for building, operating, and growing responsibly. 

“Our collaboration with the EEN team was transformational, and together, we have shown that environmental performance and business performance are not rivals, but partners. We believe that in that partnership lies the future of banking, the future of corporate Africa, and ultimately, the future of our planet.”

The EDGE certification is a globally recognised standard for green buildings, designed to make buildings more resource efficient. The certification process involves a rigorous assessment of a building’s design and construction, including independent third-party audits, ensuring that it meets the highest standards of sustainability.

IFC's EDGE program aims to promote green building practices globally by providing a standardised approach to designing and certifying resource-efficient buildings. The program has been utilised in nearly 200 countries, with over 100 million square metres in certified floor space, enabling developers worldwide to create buildings that reduce energy use, water consumption, and embodied carbon.

Globally, IFC collaborates with financiers, governments, developers, and building owners to accelerate green building development in emerging markets. In Nigeria, cumulatively, over 800,000 square meters of offices, homes, hospitals, retail stores, student accommodation, hotels, and mixed-use projects are EDGE-certified. 

About IFC

IFC — a member of the World Bank— is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities in developing countries. In fiscal year 2024, IFC committed a record $56 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, leveraging private sector solutions, and mobilising private capital to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

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About EDGE

An innovation of IFC, EDGE helps property developers to build and brand green in a fast, easy and affordable way. EDGE is supported by free software that offers up solutions to reduce energy, water, and the energy embodied in building materials by at least 20 percent. EDGE certification is recognised by the major green finance standards and streamlines green debt reporting requirements. The simplicity and low cost of EDGE, plus its focus on quantifying emission reductions makes it invaluable to map and track a path to zero carbon. The program has been generously supported by the following donors: The United Kingdom, Austria, Canada, Denmark, ESMAP, EU, Finland, GEF, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. For more information, visit www.edgebuildings.com.  

About Access Bank

Access Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Access Holdings Plc, is a leading full-service commercial bank operating through a network of more than 700 branches and service outlets spanning 3 continents, 24 countries and over 60 million customers. The Bank employs over 28,000 people in its operations in Africa and Europe, with representative offices in China, Lebanon, India, and the UAE.

Access Bank’s parent company, Access Holdings Plc, has been listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange since 1998. The Bank is a diversified financial institution which combines a strong retail customer franchise and digital platform with deep corporate banking expertise, proven risk management and capital management capabilities. The Bank services its various markets through three key business segments: Corporate and Investment Banking, Commercial Banking, and Retail Banking. The Bank has enjoyed what is arguably Africa’s most successful banking growth trajectory in the last 20 years, becoming one of the continent’s largest retail banks.

As part of its continued growth strategy, Access Bank is focused on mainstreaming sustainable business practices into its operations. The Bank strives to deliver sustainable economic growth that is profitable, environmentally responsible, and socially relevant, helping customers to access more and achieve their dreams. 

The Bank is dedicated to empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through its profound understanding of customer needs and its unwavering commitment to supporting business growth. With over 170,000 SMEs supported to date, Access Bank embodies its mantra, ‘We Love SMEs’, by continuously enhancing services and fostering business development.