NCBA, KIJANI PAMOJA DELIVER LANDMARK RESTORATION IN OLKOKOLA, 11,000 TREES PLANTED

NCBA Team led by Acting Managing Director, Alex Mziray (fourth left), Arumeru District Commissioner, Ahmed Mwinyi (fifth left), and Sarah Scott, Founder & Executive Director of Kijani Pamoja (fifth right).

NCBA Acting Managing Director, Alex Mziray (left), Sarah Scott, Founder & Executive Director of Kijani Pamoja (right), and Arumeru District Commissioner, Ahmed Mwinyi (second left) planting trees.

The western slopes of Mt Meru have witnessed a transformative environmental milestone after NCBA Tanzania, in partnership with ecosystem restoration organisation Kijani Pamoja and supported by Government officials, completed the planting of 11,000 indigenous trees across the Olkokola landscape.

This large-scale restoration marks the successful fulfilment of NCBA’s 2025 commitment to grow 16,000 trees — a fourfold increase from the 4,000 grown in 2024 — reinforcing the Bank’s rising leadership in Tanzania’s climate-resilience movement.

A Core Pillar of “Change the Story”

The tree-growing activation forms a key part of the NCBA Group’s regional Change the Story programme, which contributes to the Group’s ambitious pledge to plant 10 million trees by 2030. For NCBA, environmental restoration is not just a CSR gesture, but a long-term economic investment that strengthens communities, stabilises landscapes and aligns with the Bank’s Numbers That Matter agenda.

NCBA Tanzania Acting Managing Director Alex Mziray highlighted the Bank’s broader purpose:

“Tree planting for us is not symbolic — it is strategic. Every tree grown contributes to water security, soil stability, biodiversity recovery and community resilience. Our commitment to 16,000 trees this year is about working hand-in-hand with communities and partners to build a future where environmental health directly supports economic progress. This is what Numbers That Matter truly means to us.”

Government Applauds NCBA’s Leadership

Government representatives praised the initiative for its positive environmental impact. Speaking on behalf of the Regional Commissioner, Arumeru District Commissioner Ahmed Mwinyi underscored the value of joint action:

“I commend NCBA and Kijani Pamoja for this impactful restoration effort. Olkokola’s transformation shows what is possible when the private sector, government and communities work together for a greener and more resilient future.”

The Pay-to-Grow Model: From Planting to Stewardship

A standout feature of the Olkokola project is Kijani Pamoja’s Pay-to-Grow model, which compensates farmers for up to two years as they nurture the survival of each tree — a shift from one-off planting to sustained restoration.

This model boosts household livelihoods and supports women and youth, who form a significant proportion of the growers, while ensuring that planted trees reach maturity and provide long-term ecological benefits.

Kijani Pamoja’s technical expertise includes nurseries producing 200,000+ native seedlings annually and a seed bank housing over five million seeds, covering more than 30 species tailored to the Mt Meru ecosystem. This scientific capability ensures that restoration efforts are biodiversity-enhancing, climate-appropriate and environmentally sound.

Founder and Executive Director Sarah Scott emphasised the importance of this community-driven science:

“These 11,000 trees are not just planted — they are grown by farmers who are paid to protect them, monitored using traceable technology and designed to strengthen entire ecosystems. This is the future of credible, scalable restoration in Tanzania.”

Technology-Driven Accountability

Each tree planted is geotagged through Greenstand and monitored via the MyFarmTrees platform, providing full transparency, traceable ESG data and long-term accountability for environmental outcomes.

Restoring Landscapes, Boosting Climate Resilience

Government officials noted that the initiative has already rehabilitated over 70 hectares of degraded land, supported water retention across the Pangani Basin and helped restore ecological balance in one of Arusha’s most sensitive landscapes.

Looking Ahead: A Bigger Target for 2026

With its 16,000-tree target for 2025 now complete — including 5,000 planted earlier this year along River Mpiji — NCBA Tanzania is gearing up for an expanded 2026 goal of more than 20,000 trees, further cementing its role in championing climate resilience and Numbers That Matter across the country.