World Earth Day: Unity Bank, MEDIC  partner to clean Lagos beach

By Kayode Tokede

As part of its commitment towards promoting environmental sustainability, Unity Bank Plc has collaborated with the Mental and Environmental Development Initiative for Children, MEDIC, a non-governmental organization, for the cleaning of Lagos Kids Beach Garden within the Oba Elegushi beach environs.

The Lagos Beach cleaning exercise was held in commemoration of World Earth Day.

The staff of Unity Bank, MEDIC and other volunteers who thronged the venue of the cleaning exercise to support efforts aimed at reducing environmental degradation picked up and removed well over 50,000 plastic bottles were from the beach.

Speaking at the event, the Head, Brand Marketing & Communications, Unity Bank Plc, Mr DeVoe Okorie, said that the Lagos Beach Cleaning is part of the Bank’s corporate social responsibility aimed at leading major collaborative initiatives for climate action.

Citing recent reports on ocean pollution, he decried that “of the over 300 million tons of plastic that are produced yearly, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic enters our oceans. There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic waste estimated to be in our oceans. While 70% of our debris sinks into the ocean’s ecosystem, 15% floats, and 15% lands on our beaches.”

He added that such activity as collaboration and partnership by organizations would play a vital role in reducing the threats of ocean plastics and thereby reduce the climate risks they pose to the earth.

Unity Bank has over time promoted corporate and business philosophy that encourages low paper usage, recycling and adoption of renewable energy through increased investment in solar-powered branches and ATMs.