{"id":77463,"date":"2026-04-23T20:14:58","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T20:14:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/standard-bank-invests-mk50-million-in-lilongwe-re-greening"},"modified":"2026-04-23T20:23:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T20:23:06","slug":"standard-bank-invests-mk50-million-in-lilongwe-re-greening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/standard-bank-invests-mk50-million-in-lilongwe-re-greening","title":{"rendered":"Standard Bank Invests MK50 Million in Lilongwe Re-Greening"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Malawi. <\/strong><\/span>Standard Bank Plc has stepped up its environmental agenda, committing an additional MK50 million to re-afforestation efforts along the Dr. Saulos Chilima Highway and Mzimba Street in Lilongwe\u2014areas impacted by the expansion of the road it helped finance.<\/p>\n

As the lead financier of Malawi\u2019s first six-lane highway, the bank says the move is part of a deliberate push to restore tree cover lost during construction, reinforcing its stance that infrastructure development must not come at the expense of the environment.<\/p>\n

The investment falls under the bank\u2019s climate resilience programme, Mtengo Wanga (My Tree), which aligns with Standard Bank Group\u2019s Blue Roots initiative\u2014a broader effort to restore degraded landscapes across its operating countries. In Malawi, the programme stands out for integrating infrastructure development, urban greening, and community impact into one coordinated approach.<\/p>\n

Launched on Earth Day (22 April)<\/b>, the initiative brought together bank executives, Lilongwe City Council, the Roads Fund Administration, and community members for a symbolic tree-planting exercise, alongside the formal handover of the project to the council.<\/p>\n

The Dr. Saulos Chilima Highway and Mzimba Road project is a key urban artery linking the city centre, Kamuzu Central Hospital, and the central business district\u2014expected to boost mobility and economic activity. But Standard Bank acknowledges the environmental trade-offs that came with it.<\/p>\n

Chief Executive Phillip Madinga said the re-afforestation drive reflects a broader philosophy: development without sustainability is short-sighted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we invest in Malawi\u2019s growth, we recognize that development must go hand in hand with environmental responsibility. Mtengo Wanga is not a symbolic gesture; it is a commitment to ensure progress is matched with environmental stewardship,\u201d said Madinga.<\/p>\n

Through a partnership with Lilongwe City Council\u2014its second under the programme\u2014the bank aims to embed long-term sustainability into urban planning. The initiative builds on an earlier collaboration with World Vision International Malawi, a three-year project targeting the restoration of 350 hectares of land and benefiting over 10,000 people, including school-going children.<\/p>\n

Lilongwe Mayor Councillor Peter Alex Banda welcomed the move, describing it as critical to the city\u2019s vision of becoming greener and cleaner.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had trees along this road before construction. Initiatives like this are what will help us restore that and transform the face of Lilongwe. We need more partners like Standard Bank,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Roads Fund Administration Chief Executive Officer Stewart Malata echoed the call, stressing that infrastructure projects must account for environmental impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring construction, we removed trees. This exercise is about restoring what was lost. Sustainable infrastructure means balancing development with environmental preservation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With this latest investment, Standard Bank is positioning itself not just as a financier of development, but as a stakeholder in Malawi\u2019s environmental future\u2014making the case that economic progress and ecological responsibility must move together, not apart.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Malawi<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Malawi. Standard Bank Plc has stepped up its environmental agenda, committing an additional MK50 million to re-afforestation efforts along the Dr. Saulos Chilima Highway and Mzimba Street in Lilongwe\u2014areas impacted by the expansion of the road it helped finance. As the lead financier of Malawi\u2019s first six-lane highway, the bank says the move […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":77462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5],"tags":[234],"class_list":["post-77463","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-economy","tag-malawi"],"yoast_head":"\nStandard Bank Invests MK50 Million in Lilongwe Re-Greening - Malawi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Standard Bank Plc has stepped up its environmental agenda, committing an additional MK50 million to re-afforestation eff ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/standard-bank-invests-mk50-million-in-lilongwe-re-greening\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Standard Bank Invests MK50 Million in Lilongwe Re-Greening\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Standard Bank Plc has stepped up its environmental agenda, committing an additional MK50 million to re-afforestation eff ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/standard-bank-invests-mk50-million-in-lilongwe-re-greening\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Malawi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AfricaPressTunisiaa\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-23T20:14:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-23T20:23:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/malawi\/sites\/36\/2026\/04\/sm_1776975707.649978.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/standard-bank-invests-mk50-million-in-lilongwe-re-greening#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/standard-bank-invests-mk50-million-in-lilongwe-re-greening\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Standard Bank Invests MK50 Million in Lilongwe Re-Greening\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-23T20:14:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-23T20:23:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/standard-bank-invests-mk50-million-in-lilongwe-re-greening\"},\"wordCount\":482,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/standard-bank-invests-mk50-million-in-lilongwe-re-greening#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/malawi\/sites\/36\/2026\/04\/sm_1776975707.649978.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Malawi\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"economy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/standard-bank-invests-mk50-million-in-lilongwe-re-greening#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/standard-bank-invests-mk50-million-in-lilongwe-re-greening\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/standard-bank-invests-mk50-million-in-lilongwe-re-greening\",\"name\":\"Standard Bank Invests MK50 Million in Lilongwe Re-Greening - 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