…to empower over 475 beneficiaries in 5 host communities
Nigerian Breweries Plc, Nigeria’s foremost brewing company has launched a youth and women empowerment programme in five communities across 4 key states where its business operates.
This initiative which is in line with the company’s ‘Winning with Nigeria’ philosophy, is geared towards creating entrepreneurial opportunities for 475 women and youth through the acquisition of various vocational skills.
The beneficiaries are expected to receive training in various life skills such as Confectionery (baking), Cosmetology: Make-up, manicure & pedicure, Braiding, Solar panel installation, Cell phone repairs, Barbing, Fashion designing, Marketing and Block moulding.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the launch of the initiative was held virtually on Wednesday, October 7, 2020. The 2-hour online session was attended by NB senior management staff and guests seated in Lagos, Ogun, Kaduna, Enugu and Imo states simultaneously.
These guests include the Enugu State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Manfred Nzekwe, the Ogun State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Community Development and Cooperatives, Ms Fatudimu Oluseye represented by Samuel Mustapha, the State Director for Cooperatives,other government functionaries, traditional rulers, journalists and others who all delivered goodwill messages to the participants and Nigerian Breweries Plc.
Speaking while declaring the empowerment program open, the Managing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr Jordi Borrut Bel explained that the initiative which started with a pilot run last year is part of the company’s commitment to harness the potentials of the youths and women in local communities for development.
According to Bel, “there is no better time to partner in the empowerment of youth and women than now, as Nigeria and the world faces up to the economic challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. At Nigerian Breweries and as a Partner for Recovery, we recognize that it is now, more than ever before that we should empower our women and youth”.
In her remarks, Corporate Affairs Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mrs Sade Morgan equally stressed that the programme themed ‘Empowering our Women and Youth for Growth’ was designed as a veritable platform to unlock the potentials of Nigeria’s huge youthful population and women for greater economic benefits not only for the communities but Nigeria as a whole.
She expressed optimism that the initiative would not only offer needed solutions to entrepreneurial gaps in those communities but also play a huge role in achieving part of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
It would be recalled that the pilot scheme of the empowerment programme had kicked off in 2019 in Awo-Omamma where 105 youths selected from the seven villages were provided with skill acquisition training.
