DBN Thinks Environmental Sustainability

• Prioritizes protection, preservation of natural surroundings

BY COBHAM NSA – The Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has pledged to entrench sustainable positive environmental practices in its operations and among stakeholders as part of efforts at protecting the natural surroundings.

Accordingly, the bank says priority would be on issues of sustainability, essentially meant to address some of the worrying challenges facing the environment

Managing Director of the Bank, Tony Okpanachi, stated this at an event marking this year’s World Environment Day in Abuja, assuring that there is no reneging on the bank’s commitment to environmental protection and preservation

Addressing the staff at series of events packaged to celebrate the day, Okpanachi highlighted some of the challenges facing the environment, saying; “The World Environment Day is a day set aside by the United Nations to raise awareness on and take action against various environmental issues such as marine pollution, human overpopulation, global warming, sustainable consumption, and wildlife crime.

“We, as a Bank, will continue to align our operations with issues of sustainability by focusing on issues that put our environment at risk.”

He further said; “This year’s theme titled “Ecosystem Restoration” is a call on everyone, governments, corporate organizations, and individuals, to participate in growing trees, greening cities, re-wilding gardens, changing diets, or cleaning up rivers and coasts. We are embracing this theme by contributing to the greening of our immediate environments in Lagos and Abuja.”

The DBN boss also used the event to unveil some of the activities the Bank and its subsidiary, Impact Credit Guarantee Limited, will be undertaking as part of this year’s celebration.

These include participating in the restoration of green space on school grounds; planting of carpet grass, trees, and landscape designs by staff in selected schools, Government Junior Secondary School Durumi, Abuja, and Badore Community School, Lagos, as well as a financial endowment to “Green Clubs in the respective schools’’.

In offering details of the plans, Okpanachi said; “Today, we also launched “Green Clubs” for our chosen schools in Lagos and Abuja. These clubs will teach the students how to respect and nurture the environment and will ensure that our efforts do not end after we leave, but truly become sustainable solutions for our communities, moving forward.”

He said added to the two-phased activities, the Bank is collaborating with MOE +Art Architecture, a local sustainability enabled design and architecture firm focused on creating sustainable practices and methodologies, to research, test, and archive local indigenous sustainable materials from four geographical locations in Nigeria.

“By partnering with a local design and architecture firm, we are contributing to research on reusable materials.

“It is our vision that this body of work will enable MSMEs across Nigeria to innovate and use available local materials as a source of wealth generation,” he said

World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 of every year and represents the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of the environment.

It was first held in 1974 and has since then, been acknowledged as a global platform for raising awareness on environmental issues.

Also, it provides an opportunity for businesses, non-government organizations, communities, governments, and celebrities to advocate and pursue environmental causes. Over 143 countries participate in this celebration annually.

Established by the Federal Government of Nigeria in collaboration with global development partners (The World Bank, AfDB, KfW, AFD, and EIB), DBN Plc is a wholesale development finance institution, that focuses on addressing the major financing challenges facing Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria.

It delivers on this mandate by providing financial institutions, predominantly Deposit Money and Microfinance Banks with on-lending facilities designed to meet the needs of this segment.