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… As Industry leaders Emphasise Financing, Policy, Innovation As Catalysts For Sustainable Growth
Nigeria’s leading voices in business, finance, and sustainability gathered today in Lagos for the 2025 Private Sector ESG Forum Media Launch, a prelude to one of Africa’s landmark sustainability gatherings. The media launch, which precedes the ESG Masterclass on October 28 and the Main Forum on October 29, highlighted the Forum’s growing role in driving sustainable business transformation, climate resilience, and corporate responsibility. Now in its third year, the Forum’s 2025 edition, Themed “Energy Security and Decarbonisation: Bridging the gap for a sustainable future,” will underscore the urgent need for Africa to collectively design a transition model that reflects its unique realities, one that tackles energy poverty while advancing environmental responsibility and economic inclusion.
Delivering the Opening Remarks, Odiri Erewa-Meggison, Chair of the ESG Forum Technical Committee and External Affairs Director, BAT West and Central Africa, articulated the central dilemma of Africa’s sustainability journey: how to power development without compromising the environment. “Africa must not merely import global sustainability standards; we must define our own context. Our conversation is not just about reducing emissions, it is about expanding opportunity. We must begin to look for solutions that work for us; solutions that ensure energy fuels factories, lights homes, and sustains livelihoods.” she said.
Erewa-Meggison emphasized that the Forum aims to play a key role as a rallying point for action, anchored on collaboration between private sector actors, policymakers, and financiers. She noted that the transition must be pragmatic, ensuring equity for communities and industries that still struggle with basic access to power. “The transition is not only about what we stop doing, but what we build in its place: innovation, local capacity, and inclusive progress,” she concluded.
From the financial sector, Tosin Leye-Odeyemi, Head of Risk and Capital Management at Stanbic IBTC Holdings, offered a candid assessment of the financing landscape for sustainability. “Transition financing is not a buzzword; it is the backbone of implementation. We must de-risk sustainability investments and build blended finance structures that attract both public and private capital. If we want transformation, we must build financial systems that reward responsibility and long-term value creation,” she noted.
Leye-Odeyemi stressed that unlocking climate finance requires a clear link between sustainability outcomes and financial returns, urging the private sector to innovate around green bonds, sustainability-linked loans, and capital markets instruments that reflect Africa’s development priorities.
Bringing the agribusiness perspective, Yosola Onanuga, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability at TGI Group, explored the intersection of food, energy, and climate resilience. “Food security and energy security are inseparable. By integrating renewable energy into agricultural production and processing, agribusinesses can lower costs, reduce emissions, and build resilience for communities most vulnerable to climate shocks.”
In her Closing Remarks, Halimat Shuaibu, Head of Business Communication and Sustainability at BAT West and Central Africa, reflected on the broader purpose of the ESG Forum: to move Africa from conversation to measurable impact. “This Forum is a collaborative commitment to align profit with purpose, and growth with responsibility,” she said
The 2025 ESG Forum, convened by the ESG Forum Technical Committee and supported by partners including, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, BAT Nigeria, Seplat Energy, NBC and TGI Group, continues to serve as a lighthouse for corporate sustainability in Africa. Through high-level dialogues, expert masterclasses, and innovation showcases, the Forum is helping redefine how African businesses lead the transition, anchoring the continent’s growth on sustainability, equity, and shared prosperity.
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