Access Bank, Nigeria’s largest bank by assets, has unveiled its ‘Switch to Solar by Access’ campaign to offer affordable financing opportunities to businesses and customers to adopt a cleaner and more reliable source of electricity through solar photovoltaic (PV) and batteries.

Unveiling the campaign, Group Head, Consumer Banking, Njideka Esomeju said, “In alignment with our commitment to social responsibility and sustainable development, Access Bank Retail banking aims to promote cleaner energy solutions within our communities.

“Recognizing the critical role that renewable energy plays in reducing carbon footprints and fostering environmental sustainability, we are launching a targeted initiative to facilitate the acquisition of solar power products through flexible financing options with the Switch to solar product.


L-R: Abiodun Olubitan, Head, Women Banking; Gbenga Sheriff, Head, Risk Management, Environmental and Social Risk; Njideka Esomeju, Head, Consumer Banking; Bolarinwa Animashaun, Regional Sales Director, Lagos 2; Thelma Luck-Nwoye, Head, Consumer Assets; and Echezona Ezeuko, Regional Manager, Branch banking, Lagos 2, during the launch.

“We launched the initiative, which ensures that each household can have solar energy, first of all, to reduce costs for them, provide clearer energy and the product will be financed by the bank.”

She stated that in ensuring this, the bank is in collaboration with credited vendors across the country that are selling solar products. “We are collaborating with them to ensure that these are gotten at a good rate. We aim to ensure that all households, commercial businesses and industrial factories are powered by solar.”

Regional Sales Director, Access Bank, Bolarinwa Animashaun said the switch-to-solar was born based on engagement with customers of the bank. “We needed to assist them to provide alternative ways to power their operations. We all know the cost of the tariff of electricity,” he said.

The official said being a global brand, the bank is contributing to the Economic, Social and Governance (ESG) seventh goal that was adopted by the United Nations. The solar product can be acquired without pressure to customers and payment can be made over a period of 48 months.

Group Head, W Initiative, Access Bank, Abiodun Olubitan noted that the financial institution is considering women and women-led businesses in accessing the product. She added that the bank’s commitment towards gender empowerment is to inspire, connect and empower women.

“The product will be given to women at a discounted interest rate as this will enable them to run their businesses on any scale that they want.

“We are trying to ensure that this product is also positioned to women’s reach. The beauty of it is that we are not just ensuring that we have a clean environment, this is also our way of empowering women.”

Olubitan stated one of the major target markets for switch-to-solar is underserved, saying that this population is probably 60 per cent of women.

Head, Consumer Lending, Access bank , Thelma Luke Nwoye said the objective of the campaign was to “to take this awareness in collaboration with our partners to the doorstep of every community around us, one individual at a time and one cluster at a time.”

“We also plan to educate people about the benefit of solar energy and its impact on environmental sustainability. We will finance the entire solar products, right from panels, inverters, batteries and installation.”

She added that the campaign was very important because it speaks to sustainability, social impact and providing finance for individuals or customers where they can purchase and pay over a period of 12 months to 48 months.

Switch to Solar by Access campaign will enable businesses to access up to N50 million and individuals N10 million for the financing of Solar Photovoltaic (PV), Batteries & inverters along with installation.

There is also a competitive interest rate, flexible repayment period of up to 48 months and as low as 10 per cent equity contribution on invoice value.

The United Bank for Africa has been named the most visited banking website in Nigeria, as it received 2.36 million visits in June.

According to the data published by Semrush recently, titled, ‘Top websites in Nigeria (Banking Industry)’.

In recent years, Nigerian financial institutions have increased their investment in technology and boosted their digital channels and offerings which their customers have been embracing.

Following UBA on the ranking is payment platform, Paystack, which recorded 2.23 million visits. With 1.25 million visitors, Guaranty Trust Bank came in third.

Others include Zenith Bank (1.17 million), Access Bank (1.15 million), wise.com (950, 250) First Bank (855,360), xe.com (817,150), Providus Bank (713,760) and Mastercard.com (400,100).

The Minister of State of Defence, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has raised an alarm on an attempt to set ablaze his home in Gusau.

Thepledge gathered that the plan was uncovered by intelligence reports, which also indicted some key government officials as the brain behind such an act.

It was alleged that senior government officials who masterminded the plan to burn down the minister’s residence in the capital Gusau on Thursday morning, 1st August, disguising as hunger protectors included the Gov’s Chief of Staff Muktar Lugga who was captured in a photograph of the arsonists leading the implementation of burning down the minister’s residence, Mustapha Jafaru Kaura and the Gov’s social media aide Mugira Yusuf.

The arsonists who were alleged to have hitherto been given N5,000 each to execute the project were also told to condemn President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government and to set him up against the members of the public.

Thepledge further gathered that ostensibly aware that security forces were aware of the grand plan against the minister, the state Gov Dauda Lawal hurriedly left the state at the early hours of Wednesday for an undisclosed location in Abuja.

Its not a secret that the governor has been battling the minister since taking over power from the former governor and was not happy with President Tinubu for appointing him as the minister.

Part of the Gov’s unsuccessful attempts to ridicule the former governor includes, the breakage into the former Gov’s residential houses in both Gusau and his hometown Maradun, where invaluable assets and personal effects were cartered away by security agents allegedly on the governo’s order, just few days after the former governor handed over power to him.

The Gov also confiscated vehicles belonging to the cabinet members of the former governor.

Apart from this, the Gov also attacked Matawale on the state Airport project and set him up against the public with sponsored serial media trial.

Gov Lawal was said to have also reported the former governor to EFCC, accusing him of mismanagement and misappropriation of the state funds to the tune of N70 billion Naira.

Besides, the state government is sad to be sponsoring series of protests, both at home and Abuja to call on the President to sack the minister.

It would recalled that critics in the state have ceaselessly accused the state governor for failing to address the security challenges facing the state. Rather, according to them, the government is campaigning against perceived political enemies.