By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The corporate baseline assessments under the N-Zero initiative of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc have commenced.
This initiative was launched in January in partnership with DEG Impulse gGmbH and Africa Foresight Group (AFG) to support companies in moving from climate ambition to practical action by strengthening their capabilities in climate strategy, emissions measurement, transition planning and access to emerging carbon-market opportunities.
The N-Zero initiative will assist Nigerian businesses to strengthen their climate readiness, develop credible net-zero pathways and position them for emerging opportunities in climate-aligned capital.
This is because the baseline assessment will establish each participating company’s starting point and provide a structured view of its readiness across key areas, including climate-risk management, emissions measurement and reporting, target-setting, transition planning, technical capabilities and understanding of carbon-market opportunities. The findings will identify priority gaps and inform tailored support for each company.
Since its launch, N-Zero has engaged more than 50 companies across key sectors of the economy, with 17 formally onboarded as community members and more than 100 companies receiving the baseline survey.
Current community members include Access Holdings, Dangote Cement, United Bank for Africa, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, First HoldCo, Fidelity Bank, Zenith Bank, Wema Bank, NEM Insurance, Chapel Hill Denham, BUA Cement, Caverton Offshore Support Group, Presco, Oando, HBM Nigeria, Seplat Energy and Skyway Aviation Handling Company, with further companies being engaged as the initiative expands.
Following the baseline exercise, companies will undergo needs assessments combining digital diagnostics with expert technical review to determine their readiness levels, identify priority gaps for intervention and define the next steps towards credible climate targets, transition plans and implementation.
N-Zero is structured as a progression from awareness and assessment to target setting, transition planning, validation, implementation and impact tracking. This approach is intended to help companies strengthen internal capabilities while identifying commercial opportunities arising from the transition to a lower-carbon economy.
Under the 2026 roadmap, baseline analysis and initial needs assessments are expected to conclude in September, followed by partner-led sessions and tailored support packages in October and November.
The broader programme targets include supporting participating companies to develop science-aligned targets and transition plans, assess emissions-reduction potential, facilitate eligible carbon-offsetting projects and track progress towards the reduction or avoidance of approximately 20,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide-equivalent (tCO₂e) emissions.
“The transition to a net-zero economy is increasingly becoming a factor in competitiveness, investor confidence and access to capital. Nigerian businesses therefore need to move beyond climate ambition to demonstrate measurable and credible progress.
“N-Zero is designed to help companies understand where they stand today, identify the gaps that matter most and build practical pathways towards where they need to be.
:The baseline assessment is a critical step because it gives us the evidence and insight required to tailor support and help participating companies turn climate intent into measurable action and long-term value,” the chief executive of NGX Group, Mr Temi Popoola, said.
