African Cleanup Initiative (ACI) has partnered with Providus Bank to plant trees at the Metropolitan College, Ire Akari Estate, Isolo to mark the World Environment Day.
The tree planting exercise was part of activities to mark the 2025 World Environment Day.
The theme of the 2025 World Environment Day is ‘Beat Plastic Pollution.’
Speaking at the event, Miss Patriciaclaire Iwhewhe of the Sustainability and CSR Department of Providus Bank said that the bank is big on environmental sustainability and partnership.
Iwhewhe said that the bank has partnered with ACI to plant trees to mark the WED.
According to her, the goal is to teach the younger once the practice of circular economy; where waste is reused, recycled and repurposed.
“We decided to plant trees this year to sustain the planet.
“We also have ProvidusEco card; so every card we have, we have to plant trees; the card is made from trees.
“Rather than going plastic, we have cards that are biodegradable thus contributing to improving the planet,” Iwhewhe said.
She noted that the bank has planted over 10, 000 trees as part of giving back to the earth.
She said that the bank’s Green Earth Initiative is to encourage sustainability practices in the environment.
She added that tree planting is a symbolic action for a healthier planet, adding that tree planting represents restoration, encouraging people to grow trees because it would help people focus on wholistic ecosystem recovery and awareness.
She said that tree planting drives visibility, serving as a gateway to discuss broader environment issues.
“We at Providus Bank believe in ecosystem restoration. The trees will absorb carbon dioxide from the plastic pollution in the atmosphere.
Also speaking, Dr Alex Akhigbe, Founder ACI, said that the event is an opportunity to celebrate mother earth to its fullest.
Akhigbe said that there was need to think of what can be done differently for the sustainability of mother earth.
According to him, there are different activities that can be done to celebrate the World Environment Day.
“For us at ACI, one of the events lined up for us is tree planting and we are are doing it in partnership with Providus Bank.
“One thing about tree planting is that it creates some level of environmental stewardship and awareness where everyone sees themselves as agents of positive change.
“If you are cutting one tree tree, you plant 10. ProvidusBank is planting about 1,500 trees across various parts of Nigeria,” Akhigbe said.
The climax of the event was the planting of trees in the school and inculcating in the children the culture of environmental sustainability.
