UBA Foundation – the corporate social responsibility arm of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc., has once again taken a remarkable step toward promoting sustainability and fostering Africa’s green revolution.
Following the UBA Plc. Chairman’s footsteps, the foundation has reaffirmed its commitment to environmental preservation in line with global efforts to mitigate climate change and advance ecological conservation.
As part of activities to ensure safety of the environment and in line with its environmental mandate, the Foundation on Thursday flagged off its 2023 Tree Planting Campaign in partnership with the Lagos State Parks and Garden Agency (LASPARK) at the UBA Foundation Garden, Marina Lagos, and the International Airport Setback Garden, Ikeja Lagos; and across all its locations in the 20 African countries with the theme ‘Shades of Hope: One Tree at a Time’.
UBA’s Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba – who flagged-off the campaign with a symbolic tree-planting at the UBA Foundation Garden, Marina Lagos, said the bank through its Foundation actively engages in environmental conservation to safeguard the natural ecosystems which Africa depends on.
He explained that by partnering with stakeholders and government agencies, UBA Foundation supports programmes that enhance biodiversity and ecosystem health, and also serve as an inspiration for sustainable practices.
Alawuba said: “With the ongoing heatwave that has been reported across the United States, United Kingdom and China, we know that the issue of climate change has to be taken seriously now more than ever. We therefore have to act fast to save our planet for the future generations. There is a need to conserve our environment, and planting trees is one of the ways we can achieve this.
“To us as a bank, this is very symbolic as we are committed to saving our host communities. We are very strong on our Corporate Social Responsibilities; in fact, as a bank, UBA devotes one percent of its annual profit to improve education, the environment, and generally give back to the society where we operate.”
Earlier this month in London, Group Chairman-UBA Tony Elumelu – who is also Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation – joined King Charles III of the United Kingdom and US President Joe Biden at the Climate Finance Mobilisation Forum to help attract a new generation of capital to combat climate change
Elumelu, who has been at the forefront of sustainability efforts in Africa and is also one of Africa’s most prominent advocates for equitable climate finance, has been working with top world leaders toward creating sustainable climate solutions. According to Tony Elumelu, the world needs bold actions and innovative new partnerships between public, private and philanthropic actors.
One of the key partners with UBA Foundation on its sustainability efforts is LASPARK. The General Manger, Mrs. Adetoun Popoola – who was at the tree-planting effort in Lagos, commended UBA for its efforts at planting over 1,000 trees across all its branches in Africa; adding that initiatives such as these complement government efforts.
She said: “Collaborations such as these are important, and we do not fail to let people know that planting trees is very crucial to building a safer and more sustainable environment – which is important for us. So, we advise that people should learn to plant trees for special events such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries and others; you can plant on your balconies, gardens, rooftops and galleries, anywhere”.
UBA Foundation, CSR arm of the UBA Group, is committed to socio-economic betterment of the communities in which the bank operates – focusing on development in the areas of Education, Environment, Economic Empowerment and Special Projects.
