Rite Foods Limited increased its investment in corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives by about 50 per cent in 2025, spending N581.92 million compared to N387.89 million in 2024, as the indigenous food and beverage manufacturer intensified efforts to reduce its environmental footprint and expand its social impact.
The Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Rite Foods, Ekuma Eze, disclosed this during the presentation of the company’s 2025 Sustainability Report, where he said the company remained committed to transparency despite not being under any regulatory obligation to publish sustainability reports.
According to him, the company voluntarily adopted global environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting standards to demonstrate accountability and continuously improve its operations.
“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 explained that the increased CSR and sustainability expenditure reflected Rite Foods’ determination to create long-term value for its host communities while minimising the environmental impact of its manufacturing operations.
“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.
Presenting highlights of the report, Eze said the company achieved a five per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in 2025 compared to the previous year, while carbon intensity declined by 23 per cent, bringing the firm closer to its long-term ambition 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.
Eze added that water conservation remained a strategic priority because water is one of the company’s most important production inputs.
“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 also showed improvements in energy efficiency, with energy consumption declining to 0.41 megajoules per litre in 2025 from 0.44 megajoules per litre in 2024. Solid waste generation was also reduced by 27 per cent during the period.
On plastic waste management, Eze said the company strengthened its partnerships to promote a circular economy.
“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.
He noted that recycled plastics were converted into useful products, including school bags distributed to more than 2,000 pupils across nine schools.
Beyond environmental stewardship, the report highlighted Rite Foods’ contribution to Nigeria’s economy through employment generation, local sourcing and tax payments. The company maintained approximately 3,000 direct jobs across its manufacturing, distribution and administrative operations and created more than 12,000 indirect employment and income opportunities through its network of suppliers, distributors, transporters and retailers.
According to the report, Rite Foods paid over N18.41 billion in taxe.
