NMB exceeds tree-planting target, awards Kibaha schools Sh225m

Kibaha. NMB Bank has concluded its 2023 national tree-planting campaign, surpassing its one million tree target by 40 percent.

A total of 1.4 million trees were planted through the participation of 189 primary and secondary schools across mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

The campaign, “Miti Milioni, Kuza Mti Tukutuze”, ended with an event at Mwambesi Forest Secondary School in Kibaha, which was awarded Sh50 million as the best-performing school. In total, schools received Sh225 million for their participation.

Gracing the event, the minister of State in the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Authorities – PO-RALGA), Mr Mohammed Mchengerwa, commended NMB for supporting national conservation goals.

NMB Bank’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr Juma Kimori, said schools were assessed based on the number of trees planted and survival rates.

Mwambesi School achieved a 99 percent survival rate. Ibondo Primary School in Sengerema, Mwanza Region, and Itimbo Secondary School in Mafinga, Iringa Region, received Sh30 million and Sh20 million respectively, for achieving survival rates above 80 percent. Nineteen schools that planted at least 1,000 trees and achieved a minimum 60 percent survival rate received Sh2 million each. Another 121 schools received Sh500,000 and certificates.

The tree-planting campaign aligns with NMB’s environmental initiatives, including a Sh100 billion clean cooking loan facility. The bank also uses its NMB Kijiji Day platform to promote clean cooking technologies in partnership with Taifa Gas.

Kibaha District Commissioner, Mr Nickson Simon, said local adoption of clean cooking had helped reduce annual charcoal use by more than half. Tanzania Forest Services official Dr Hamza Katete said with the country losing an estimated 469,000 hectares of forest annually, continued collaboration is essential.