The FirstBank Group said its aims to plant more trees at the the Lekki Conservation Centre in Lagos, to hit its goal of 50,000 units by 2025, is social investment in cleaner air, stronger ecosystems, and human sustainability.

This was revealed during the company’s 2025 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Week, when a tree-planting ceremony at the Lekki Conservation Centre.

At the ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, Olusegun Alebiosu, said, “Tree planting, though seemingly simple, has profound significance, as it is an investment in cleaner air, stronger ecosystems, and human sustainability.

“This campaign, which was formally launched in 2023 with the vision of planting 50,000 trees by 2025, saw us planting 1,000 trees at the Lekki Conservation Centre in Lagos in 2023, and an additional 30,000 trees in 2024, during the CR&S Week. This year, it is my pleasure to inform you that we will be planting the remaining 20,000 trees in line with our earlier promise of 50,000 trees by 2025.

“These efforts align with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and Nigeria’s Green Recovery Plan, reinforcing our resolve to contribute meaningfully to global and national efforts in combating climate change and promoting ecological restoration.

“At FirstBank, our commitment to environmental stewardship is deeply rooted in our legacy of over 130 years of nation-building. We recognise that a thriving economy depends on a thriving planet. Therefore, we must all come together and make deliberate efforts to preserve the ecosystems that sustain life and livelihood.”

He also commended the partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, stating that it is a pleasure to partner once again with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation on this initiative, demonstrating our shared commitment to promoting biodiversity, conservation, and climate awareness, key pillars of our Environmental, Social, and Governance values.”

Highlighting the importance of tree planting, Alebiosu said, “Today, as we gather to plant trees, let us remember: we are not just placing seedlings into the ground; we are sowing seeds of hope, renewal, and sustainability. We are reaffirming our belief that sustainability is not merely a corporate obligation but a shared responsibility that binds us all, as individuals, as organisations, and as a nation.”

FirstBank, through the ‘Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness’ initiative, mobilised employees across the FirstBank Group — including FirstBank Nigeria, FirstBank UK, FirstBank Gambia, FirstBank Sierra Leone, FirstBank DRC, FirstBank Guinea, FirstBank Ghana, FBNBank Senegal, First Pension, and First Nominees — to dedicate their time and resources to meaningful causes aligned with the bank’s sustainability strategy.

The bank is planting the remaining 20,000 trees in partnership with the Nigerian Conservation Foundation in the final phase of its support for Nigeria’s 2060 decarbonisation agenda.

Some of the trees planted in a grassland portion of the Lekki Conservation Centre included cashew, Alstonia boonei, a herbal medicinal plant of West African origin, among others.