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Dike Onwuamaeze

BAT Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing Nigeria’s sustainability agenda as it emphasised the critical role of the private sector in driving climate action and economic resilience across the continent.

The Managing Director of BAT West & Central Africa, Mr. Yarub Al-Bahrani, reaffirmed this commitment in his keynote address at the 2025 edition of the Private Sector ESG Forum, themed “Energy Security and Decarbonisation: Bridging the Gap for a Sustainable Future in Africa,” where he highlighted the urgent need for businesses to environmental stewardship alongside environmental stewardship

Al-Bahrani noted that while Africa has continued to face significant energy access challenges, the private sector must play a leading role in decarbonisation and building sustainable energy systems for future generations.

He outlined BAT Nigeria’s progress in reducing its environmental footprint through measurable actions, which included transitioning 100 percent of its operations from diesel to compressed natural gas (CNG), installation of a 1.4 MW solar system at its Ibadan factory, and maintaining a zero-waste-to-landfill record since 2021.

These initiatives, he said, are central to the Company’s target to achieve a 50 percent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Reinforcing the importance of collaboration, Al-Bahrani called for stronger partnerships between government, private sector, and civil society to unlock investments in clean energy and accelerate Africa’s energy transition.

He said: “Sustainability is not a corporate slogan; it is a collective responsibility. If we are to bridge the gap between energy security and decarbonisation, we must build together, through enabling policy, innovation, and shared commitment.”

This year’s forum, held in partnership with TGI Group, BAT Nigeria, Stanbic IBTC and NESGAS Producing, featured two thought-provoking plenary sessions themed “From Production to Consumption: Building Resilient and Sustainable Energy Value Chains,” and “Financing Africa’s Energy Transition – Unlocking Capital for Gas and Renewables in a Balanced Energy Future; deepening conversations on Africa’s energy future.

Participants at the forum shared a unified perspective that Africa’s energy transition must be both inclusive and innovative. Leaders from government, industry, and finance agreed that expanding access to clean energy, strengthening policy coherence, and promoting sustainable financing are key to bridging the continent’s energy gap.