The Chief Executive Officer of Sterling One Foundation, Olapeju Ibekwe, has advocated for inclusive and sustainable environmental strategies, noting that meaningful climate action must integrate community participation and economic empowerment to deliver multi-generational impact.
Speaking at the official commissioning of the One Million Trees Planting Initiative in Kaduna, Ibekwe emphasised that the initiative is more than a tree-planting campaign but a deliberate commitment to restoring the environment and investing in the future of local communities.
“Climate action must be both inclusive and sustainable,” Ibekwe stated, adding that by combining ecosystem restoration with economic opportunities, particularly for women who will play a central role in planting and long-term maintenance, the partners are building a resilient, scalable model for the country.
The landmark project, according to Sterling One Foundation’s statement on Sunday, launched in commemoration of World Environment Day, is a collaborative partnership involving the Sterling One Foundation, Africa Finance Corporation, the Nigerian Defence Academy, Sterling Bank, and Fifth Chukker Resort. It represents one of the largest consolidated reforestation and landscape restoration efforts in the country, designed to plant one million trees over the coming years to combat rapid deforestation, biodiversity loss, and severe land degradation across Nigeria.
