From L-R: Head, Tree Planting and Maintenance, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), Funmi Dawodu, Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria, Charles Kie planting a coconut tree and General Manager, LASPARK, Abimbola Jijoho-Ogun, during the ceremonial corporate tree planting in Lagos recently.

By Daniels Ekugo

Ecobank Nigeria Limited has initiated the planting of 500 coconut tree seedlings on Victoria Island being part of the Lagos State greener, healthier and sustainable environment campaign targeted at planting at least 10 million trees by the year 2020 within the state. The Lagos State Government had in 2008 commenced tree planting campaign programme statewide; this being the cheapest means to mitigate the negative effects of excess greenhouse gases from the atmosphere thereby alleviating the impact of climate change within the environment.

The Ecobank campaign which stretched through the Ahmadu Bello Way on Victoria Island terminated at the Bar Beach / Eko Atlantic City end of the road. The Managing Director of the Bank, Charles Kie, who led the bank’s team, started the exercise by planting the first coconut tree demonstrating the symbolic kick off of the tree planting campaign.

In his comment, Mr Charles Kie commended Lagos State government for recognizing Ecobank as an environment friendly Bank, stressing that, the Bank will continue to partner government and non-governmental organizations to protect the environment. “Our support to Lagos State government in this tree planting initiative is in line with our business mantra and is one of the ways to exhibit our visible, vibrant and enduring CSR to mitigate the potential adverse effects of climate change. This also enables us support the far reaching consequence of creating and providing an esthetic environment for Lagos and its people.”

Also speaking, the General Manger, Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK), Mrs. Abimbola Jijoho-Ogun, said Ecobank’s commitment to supporting initiatives that promote protection and preservation of natural environment was laudable, stressing that, partnership with the Bank has ensured a greener and healthier state. According to her, “It is in appreciation of the your sponsorship of 2016 Tree planting program that we decided to perform a ceremonial corporate planting of 500 coconut tree seedling in the name of the Ecobank- the Pan African bank.”
She was optimistic that with the support of corporate organisations such as Ecobank, the Lagos State Government would attain its target of planting 10 million trees by the year 2020.