Sahara Group, an energy conglomerate, has called for the scaling-up of nature-based solutions across Africa, saying it is critical to unlocking climate finance, accelerating adaptation and boosting the continent’s resilience as the world transitions to a low-carbon future.
Speaking at the 30th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) in Belém, the Governance and Sustainability Manager at Sahara Group, Tejumade Tejuoso, urged African nations to be deliberate in building systems that protect lives, livelihoods and essential ecosystems.
“For Africa, this is a crucial moment to build strong resilience systems and access the right kind of financing. We must transition in a way that benefits us, justly and responsibly, and that means keeping development firmly at the centre,” Tejuoso said.
She noted that despite contributing minimally to global emissions, Africa continues to face disproportionate climate impacts, highlighting the urgency for responsible, well-financed and development-aligned action.
She added that global negotiations present significant opportunities for African countries and private-sector actors to secure fair climate financing, deepen adaptation efforts and strengthen regional climate-risk preparedness.
Tejuoso described Sahara Group’s ‘Adopt-a-Forest’ initiative as a key part of its nature-based interventions, noting that the company is driving the restoration of critical forest and mangrove ecosystems across Africa, with a target of planting at least one million trees.
She described ongoing efforts, including the restoration of a 34-hectare arboretum and facility upgrades at Banco National Park in Côte d’Ivoire; landscape regeneration in Nigeria, where nearly 24,000 trees have been planted; the rehabilitation of 15 hectares of degraded land in Ghana’s Juaso District; strengthened mangrove restoration in Kenya; and forest recovery programmes in Cameroon and Tanzania.
“Our work is rebuilding natural ecosystems, enhancing carbon sequestration potential and strengthening community resilience. We are working to adopt as many forest areas as possible to help restore balance to the climate.”
Tejuoso also emphasised Sahara Group’s preparations for the new global sustainability disclosure standards (IFRS S1 and S2), which will become mandatory for public-interest entities by 2028.
“We are already assessing our gaps and integrating these standards across our operations to ensure Sahara remains ahead of global requirements,” she said.
