Sahara Group partners Edo govt. to restore Gelegele forest, begins planting of 20,000 trees

By Seun Ibiyemi

Sahara Group has deepened its environmental sustainability drive with a strategic partnership between its flagship Adopt-A-Forest Initiative and the Gelegele Forest Reserve in Edo State, Nigeria.

The collaboration, which formally commenced with the planting of 20,000 tree seedlings, aims to restore degraded sections of the forest and strengthen Sahara’s long-term commitment to nature-based climate solutions.

The launch event brought together the Edo State Forestry Commission and the Gelegele Forest Reserve Board, highlighting Sahara Group’s collaborative, community-driven approach to ecosystem restoration, biodiversity protection, and sustainable livelihood development.

Introduced in 2023, the Adopt-A-Forest Initiative has become one of Sahara Group’s leading climate action programmes. It focuses on rehabilitating damaged landscapes, conserving Africa’s natural carbon sinks, and boosting climate resilience.

By 2024, the initiative had expanded beyond Nigeria to Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, and Dubai, with new projects scheduled for Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Kenya in 2025.

Ejiro Gray, Director of Governance and Sustainability at Sahara Group, described the programme as central to the organisation’s vision for a greener future.

“The Adopt-A-Forest Initiative is more than a tree-planting programme, it drives environmental sustainability by protecting our natural carbon sinks.

These forests are a God-given gift essential to managing emissions, sequestering carbon, and keeping Africa’s lungs functioning for the planet,” she said.

Babatiomiwa Adesida, Head of Business Support at Asharami Energy, a Sahara Group company, said the company’s involvement underscores Sahara’s integrated sustainability agenda.

“At Asharami Energy, sustainability sits at the heart of our business. Every tree planted is a step toward reversing decades of degradation and restoring hope,” he noted.

Chairman of the Edo State Forestry Commission, Hon. Asuen Valentine, commended Sahara Group for the intervention, describing it as timely and impactful.

“The best time to plant a tree was years ago; the second-best time is now. We appreciate Sahara Group for championing this initiative and helping restore our forests for future generations,” he said.

Gray further reiterated Sahara Group’s commitment to climate leadership across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
“This work is necessary and non-negotiable,” she stated. “We must continually balance forest conservation with sustainable development.”

The Adopt-A-Forest Initiative continues to serve as a cornerstone of Sahara Group’s climate action strategy, leveraging nature-based solutions, resource efficiency, and community partnerships to preserve Africa’s forests, the continent’s most vital environmental asset.