Rite Foods Limited increased its investment in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability initiatives by nearly 50 per cent in 2025, committing N581.92 million compared to N387.89 million in 2024, as the indigenous food and beverage manufacturer expanded programmes aimed at reducing its environmental footprint while strengthening its social impact.

The disclosure was made during the presentation of the company’s 2025 Sustainability Report by the Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Rite Foods, Ekuma Eze, who explained that the company continues to publish sustainability reports voluntarily despite having no regulatory obligation to do so.

According to Eze, Rite Foods has adopted internationally recognised Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting standards to promote transparency, accountability and continuous operational improvement.

“We are not under any compulsion to publish sustainability reports because we are not a publicly listed company. But because we hold ourselves to a very high standard of integrity, we believe in full disclosure of our environmental, social and governance performance and the results we are achieving,” Eze said.

He noted that the increase in CSR and sustainability expenditure underscores the company’s commitment to creating lasting value for host communities while reducing the environmental impact of its manufacturing activities.

“In 2025, we spent N581.92 million on corporate social responsibility and sustainability projects, compared with N387.89 million in 2024. This demonstrates our growing commitment to responsible business practices and sustainable development,” he said.

Environmental performance improves

Highlighting key achievements contained in the sustainability report, Eze said Rite Foods recorded a five per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in 2025 compared with the previous year. The company also reduced its carbon intensity by 23 per cent, bringing it closer to its long-term goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2060.

“Between 2024 and 2025, we reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by five per cent, while our carbon intensity fell by 23 per cent year-on-year. These improvements show that our investments in technology, operational efficiency and responsible manufacturing are delivering measurable environmental benefits,” he said.

Water conservation also remained a major focus for the company because of its importance to production processes.

“Water is a finite resource, and we must use it responsibly. We monitor our water-use ratio daily to ensure we reduce consumption without compromising production, with a long-term target of cutting water use by 50 per cent,” he said.

The report further revealed improvements in operational efficiency, with energy consumption declining to 0.41 megajoules per litre in 2025 from 0.44 megajoules per litre in 2024, while solid waste generation fell by 27 per cent over the same period.

Plastic recovery and circular economy initiatives

Speaking on plastic waste management, Eze said Rite Foods strengthened collaborations designed to support a circular economy and improve environmental sustainability.

“In 2025 alone, we recovered more than 22 tonnes of plastic waste from coastal communities through our clean-up initiatives. Through our partnership with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance, we also supported the recovery of over 800 tonnes of plastic waste from the environment, while 588.2 tonnes were collected through our industry contributions,” he said.

The company added that the recovered plastics were recycled into useful products, including school bags distributed to more than 2,000 pupils across nine schools.

Economic contribution and employment

Beyond its environmental initiatives, the report highlighted Rite Foods’ contribution to Nigeria’s economy through employment, local sourcing and tax remittances.

According to the report, the company sustained approximately 3,000 direct jobs across its manufacturing, distribution and administrative operations, while creating more than 12,000 indirect employment and income opportunities through suppliers, distributors, transporters and retailers.

Rite Foods also reported paying more than N18.41 billion in taxes, excluding Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) deductions, and generating N136.19 billion in total value added to Nigeria’s economy during 2025.

The report further stated that the company surpassed its annual production target, achieving its highest-ever production volume in December 2025, driven by improved operational efficiency, stable raw material supply and stronger partnerships across its value chain.

Through its EYEC sustainability framework, which focuses on Education, Youth Empowerment, Environmental Stewardship and Community Development, Rite Foods said it continued investing in skills development, ICT education, women’s economic empowerment and environmental awareness programmes aimed at promoting inclusive economic growth and building resilient communities.

Source: The Nation