Students at King’s College, Lagos, and CMS Grammar School, Bariga, watched trees go into the ground this World Environment Day. The UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of United Bank for Africa Group, used the two campuses to open its 2026 Tree Planting for Sustainability Initiative.
World Environment Day falls on June 5 each year and is coordinated by the United Nations. The 2026 theme is “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.” The initiative is now in its fourth year and is being carried out in selected schools across Nigeria.
Why these two schools
The choice was deliberate, said Bola Atta, the Foundation’s Managing Director and CEO. Both schools have long histories and have produced leaders in Nigeria. CMS Grammar School is recognised as the country’s oldest secondary school, and King’s College has taught students for more than a century. Atta said the aim is to make sure the trees planted now are looked after for future generations.
Speaking at CMS Grammar School, she called the programme a long-term investment in young people. Environmental protection takes collective responsibility and steady action, she said, and learning that early can lead to healthier communities and a more secure future.
She also pointed to what rapid city growth has cost. Many green spaces in Nigerian cities have disappeared under development. Atta said the trend can still be reversed, and that planting projects like this one help communities win back lost greenery.
The bank’s side
The planting forms part of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy of the UBA Group. Awele Ajibola, the group’s Chief Risk Officer, also spoke at the event. Climate change poses serious challenges to societies and economies, she said, so financial institutions have to take an active part in promoting sustainability.
Lessons beyond planting
Students also sat through interactive sessions on waste management, recycling, water conservation and energy efficiency. The Foundation has more events lined up for the month: green awareness campaigns at branches, sustainability clubs in schools and a month-long environmental challenge. It has also joined the Finance Taskforce for Plastic Action in Nigeria.
The school heads welcomed the programme. Revd. Jacob Ayokunle Ogunyinka, principal of CMS Grammar School, described it as a practical extension of classroom learning and said students grasp environmental protection better when they take part. Magaji Zachariah, principal of King’s College, said it would leave a lasting mark on students and encourage long-term environmental awareness.
