By Joke Kujenya
ON THE urgent need to preserve and restore the global habitat through sustainable environmental practices, the Union Bank of Nigeria has entered a partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) in commemoration of 2024 World Environment Day (WED).
During an event held on June 5th, 2024, at the Lekki Conservation Centre in Lagos State, the bank re-emphasized the need for a diverse array of stakeholders, including environmental rights activists, international partner agencies, corporate institutions, government bodies, and students from select secondary schools, to team up in order to achieve desired results.
Central to the day’s activities was a tree-planting exercise involving various participants and representatives.
This activity aligned with the year’s theme, “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience,” which advocates for the rejuvenation and revitalization of land devastated by deforestation, erosion, and desertification, both globally and in Nigeria.
During the event, Patricia Iwhewhe, Head of Citizenship and Sustainability at Union Bank, emphasized the importance of preserving the environment.
She stated, “Land degradation and erosion are not issues that stakeholders and policymakers can afford to ignore or gloss over. We all must get involved in helping restore and reclaim parts of our environment badly impacted by deforestation and desertification.
The bank, as a sustainability champion committed to the preservation of our dear planet, appreciates and recognizes the responsibility we have as humanity to look after our environment. We will continue to support and participate in programs dedicated to protecting and enriching our precious habitat.”
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation has also been an invaluable partner in this initiative as its decades-long advocacy has significantly influenced Nigeria’s environmental policy and positively impacted the quality of human life by preserving and protecting natural resources, and pledged continued support for the NCF’s efforts to ensure a sustainable future for present and future generations.
Through a diverse range of projects and interventions, Union Bank said it has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to creating a safer, healthier, and more sustainable environment as its tangible contributions towards inspiring a brighter and more sustainable future for all.
