Standard Bank Malawi plc has committed K50 million to a tree-planting drive along the Saulos Chilima Highway and Mzimba Street in Lilongwe, targeting vegetation lost during construction of the six-lane road. The bank, which financed the K34.6 billion road sproject, says the initiative will restore trees cleared to pave way for the development. Speaking during the launch on Tuesday, Standard Bank Malawi chief executive Phillip Madinga said they are taking deliberate steps to offset the environmental cost of major infrastructure projects.
Banda plants a tree. | Esnart Tembo “The initiative extends restoration efforts into the urban space, linking community forest programmes with city-wide greening and long-term partnerships to ensure sustainability,” he said. Lilongwe City Mayor Peter Banda, who was the guest of honour, hailed the move as a practical demonstration of corporate social responsibility. “While we celebrate this modern road, we also acknowledge the trees that were lost.
Replacing them is the right step,” he said. Roads Fund Administration chief executive officer Stewart Malata said the initiative sets a standard for integrating environmental protection into infrastructure development. “All road projects should go hand in hand with environmental conservation and we look forward to more partnerships of this nature,” he said.
The Ministry of Natural Resources launched the 2025/26 National Forestry Season in January this year at Mpasa Primary School in Phalombe District. Targeting to plant about 41 million trees nationwide, the exercise under the theme ‘Trees and forests for community resilience’ seeks to promote community resilience, restoring degraded land and promoting agroforestry to achieve food security. Lilongwe resident Elliot Phiri, participated in the launch, commended the bank for supporting environmental conservation efforts.
“We will ensure that the trees planted along the highway are protected to survive. We can only imagine how beautiful the road will be when the trees grow,” he said.