Polaris Bank Plants Trees at Lekki Conservation Centre, Reaffirms Sustainability Commitment

Polaris Bank has strengthened its commitment to environmental sustainability with a tree-planting exercise at the Lekki Conservation Centre in Lagos, in collaboration with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), as part of efforts to promote climate action, ecological restoration and sustainable community development.

The initiative, held on Monday, October 12, 2026, builds on the bank’s nationwide tree-planting programme launched in 2024, which has recorded the planting of 10,000 trees across 16 locations in the Federal Capital Territory and 13 states across Nigeria.

The programme reflects the bank’s efforts to translate its environmental sustainability commitments into practical initiatives capable of delivering long-term benefits to communities and the environment.

Speaking at the exercise, Abimbola Ozomah, Executive Director, Corporate and Investment Banking at Polaris Bank, said sustainability remained a fundamental principle guiding the bank’s operations and community engagement activities.

“At Polaris Bank, sustainability is not a slogan, it is a principle that guides our daily actions. It is about transforming bold commitments into measurable impact. Each of these trees represents more than just a number; they stand for communities empowered, degraded lands restored, and livelihoods supported,” she said.

Ozomah described the partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation as an important step in the bank’s sustainability journey, emphasising the environmental and economic benefits of tree planting.

According to her, planting economic trees goes beyond mitigating the effects of climate change, as it also provides opportunities for long-term community development through improved soil fertility, increased vegetation cover and potential income generation as the trees mature.

She noted that environmental conservation required sustained commitment and collaboration among businesses, communities, employees and other stakeholders.

The Polaris Bank executive urged participants to look beyond the planting exercise itself by ensuring that the seedlings were properly nurtured to maturity, stressing that the long-term success of the initiative depended on collective responsibility.

“The power of small actions, when multiplied, creates extraordinary change. As we put these seedlings into the ground, let us commit to nurturing them and, in so doing, nurturing the future we all desire. Together, let us grow a greener, stronger, and more sustainable Nigeria,” she said.

The collaboration with the NCF also highlights the role of partnerships between financial institutions and environmental organisations in advancing conservation efforts and encouraging responsible environmental practices.

Tree planting is widely recognised as one of the measures that can support climate resilience by absorbing carbon dioxide, improving air quality, protecting soil against erosion and providing habitats for wildlife. Depending on the species planted and how they are managed, trees can also contribute to local economic activities and improve the livelihoods of surrounding communities.

For Nigeria, where environmental challenges include deforestation, land degradation, biodiversity loss and the effects of climate change, sustained conservation initiatives are increasingly important to protecting ecosystems and supporting sustainable development.

Polaris Bank said the latest exercise underscores its continued support for practical environmental initiatives that contribute to ecological restoration, climate resilience and community development.

Through its nationwide tree-planting programme and partnerships with organisations such as the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, the bank is encouraging collective action to protect the environment and promote a more sustainable future for generations to come.

The bank’s initiative also reinforces the growing importance of corporate participation in environmental protection, as businesses are increasingly expected to demonstrate how their operations and community investments contribute to broader sustainability objectives.

By extending its tree-planting programme across several states and partnering with conservation experts, Polaris Bank is seeking to make environmental responsibility a continuing part of its engagement with Nigerian communities.