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How Nestlé is Securing the Nation’s Future Through Wholesome Youth Empowerment Schemes
By Eric Elezuo
“Our ambition is to help 10 million young people around the world access economic opportunities by 2030 through employment and employability, agripreneurship and entrepreneurship” – Nestlé
The basis of empowerment is not just a function of lip service or showmanship. It is deeply rooted in the ability to showcase tangible and verifiable evidences as seen in individuals and institutions. It is harnessing the process, and aiding of individuals and institutions towards becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their lives as well as claiming their rights in the commity of existence.
Consequently, when the story of lifting people, who verily accommodates empowerment, especially youths and women, talents and even resources, is written, one company will be at the forefront of superlative mention; the Nestlé Group, comprising Nestlé Global and Nestlé Nigeria. It’s involvement in the empowerment of women, youths, children and the generality of the public, has become a reference point of some sort, a case study and subject of discourse among men and women of goodwill. Nestlé is a force to reckon with, without an iota of doubt.
From its earliest and most humble beginnings in Switzerland in 1866/67, Nestlé, a brainchild of Henri Nestlé, has grown in leaps and bounds, becoming a global multinational brand, operating and distributing kindness, and empowerment in over 188 countries of the world.
Nestlé was the next best thing to happen to Nigeria, berthing in the country in 1961, as Nestlé Products (Nigeria) Limited. 63 years after, Nestlé has continued to heavily invest in the development and improvement in the nutritional profile of all their products, churning out healthy families and happier children.
Across the globe, the brand has maintained an aura that none has been able to beat in the business of affecting lives, rejuvenating standards and simply put, to empower the young people towards becoming their own individual bosses.
The company’s invincibility in creating leverage for the youths has been centred on four cardinal objectives, which include getting them hired, skilled, supported, and providing them with more opportunities.
Presently, Nestlé has trained about 8,464 young farmers through its renowned Agripreneurship Programme. This achievement incidentally is a process of one year – 2023.
It is worthy of note that among a humongous list of ordinate assistance rendered in the empowerment business, Nestlé Nigeria’s commitment to youth empowerment and skill development, continually takes a new dimension; the latest being the establishment in 2023 as an appendix of the firm’s broader technical training initiative, which has been running since 2011, the Flowergate Technical Training Centre (TTC), which just graduated another 20 young people comprising men and women. Yes, a significant milestone, which goes further to tell additional story of Nestlé’s stock-in-trade, and that involves its consistent efforts to equip Nigerian youth with essential technical skills.
It is a thing of joy to observe that since its inception, the programme has produced over 200 young Nigerians, who rode above the rigous of 18-month stringent curriculum.
The TTC programme comes with a mind blowing six billion naira investment; a proof that their priority lies in developing the next generation of skilled professionals to drive the country’s industrial and entrepreneurial future.
“For over 13 years, our commitment to nurturing young talent has reflected our confidence in the future of this generation,” Mr. Wassim Elhusseini, Managing Director/CEO of Nestlé Nigeria, said at a recent function.
The technicality of the training, time involved and its rigors, have remained a clear testament of the quality, just as Nestlé waste no time in absorbing the graduates. The company does not train and dump; it has employed over 97 percent of its graduates. It is therefore, no surprise that employees of Nestlé are budding young men and women, rearing with energy, tact and a sense of deliverables.
“This year alone, we proudly graduated 70 skilled professionals across all our centers, including Agbara and Abaji, all of whom have now joined our team. For us, this program is more than just skills training—it’s about empowering young people to shape their futures and become catalysts for change. By equipping them with critical technical expertise, we are opening doors to personal growth and financial independence.
“Ultimately, this is a long-term investment in creating shared value, as their success extends beyond themselves, impacting their families, strengthening communities, and driving growth in the industry,” Wassim Elhusseini informed.
Every of the company’s efforts is assiduously targeted to prepare the Nigerian youth for the future, ensuring they can thrive in an evolving industrial landscape.
Of course, everyone expects the best of the youths as the training exercise combines theoretical learning with hands-on engineering experience and culminates in the City and Guilds of London Technicians’ Certification. This significantly boosts the employability of the participants.
Again, for the love of the young ones, and the need to safeguard the future, Nestlé Nigeria has introduced the Nestlé Needs YOUth initiative; a broad base plan that has so far accommodated over 25,000 youths on an annual basis, helping them access economic opportunities.
For the benefit of hindsight, Nestlé’s investment since 2011 in upskilling the bright young minds is a reflection of the belief in the potential of the next generation as well as commitment to enabling them to thrive, in other to create shared value.
“By bridging the technical skills gap in the industry, we are not only enhancing the employability of our youth but also empowering them to achieve financial independence, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to their communities and society at large,” Nestlé noted.
Without an iota of doubt, Nestlé is “playing our part to cushion the impact of economic challenges on the youth and prepare them for the future. Some of these initiatives include our Nesternship Program, Nestlé Youth Development Program, and our active participation in the Alliance for Youth Nigeria initiative,” Mr. Shakiru Lawal, the Country Human Resources Manager at Nestlé Nigeria, clarified.
Beyond attending to young adults with vocational training, Nestlé is also saddled with the concept of catch them young. The firm’s employees, in collaboration with the company, engage in mentorship of students in the secondary schools, specifically JSS2, SS1 and SS2 classes. Presently, over 12,000 pupils across the nation have received one on one mentorship that has proved to be the ice breaker in their path towards making a career choice.
Dubbed the Youth Leadership Mentoring Programme, which is in collaboration with REVAMP Africa, a youth-focused non-profit organization with the vision to revive educational values and maximize potential among young people, especially in public secondary schools, the initiative aims to instill the right values, skills and attitudes requisite for success and positive personal development from an early age in children. The exercise is designed to empower the children through experiential learning as leaders of tomorrow.
“My classmates and I are excited to have the mentors in our classes. Today’s session on values and morality was very interesting. The mentors spoke to us about developing personal values for success in life. I am determined to live by the four values I have set for myself, both in school and outside the school. I will also put in more effort in my academics so I can excel and achieve my dreams,” a mentee recounts with gusto.
In addition to the many superlatives in youth empowerment schemes and initiatives, Nestlé has also embarked on a project of supporting academic excellence through wholesome sponsorship with its Community Scholarship Programme.
The Programme, which was launched in 2020, has remained a commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders, and aimed at high-achieving senior secondary and tertiary students pursuing studies in Science and Technology. It also empowers and supports students in communities surrounding Nestlé operations through the provision of tuition, accommodation, uniforms, books, and other essential expenses. The company has steadily ensured that students, who qualify for the grant, have the resources they need throughout their education journey.
Presently, a whopping N18 million has been set aside for 90 verified indigenes for the ongoing session of selection.
“These scholarships reflect our unwavering dedication to investing in the future of our youth. At a time when economic challenges place added strain on families nationwide, we’re proud to provide meaningful financial support that eases this burden. By investing in education, we’re not only empowering individual students but also fostering the growth and prosperity of our entire community,” Victoria Uwadoka, Nestlé Nigeria Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainability Lead, has said, noting that 65 students from various schools in Abaji, Agbara and Sagamu, from the 2023/2024 batch have been awarded.
The scholarship has been a leveler, helping students to pursue their dreams, fuel their passion for learning, and help them explore opportunities that might have otherwise been out of reach.
With various empowerment programmes sticking out of the stables of Nestlé, it’s obvious that young people are at the heart of regeneration and future.
“They are the entrepreneurs and innovators of tomorrow and the next generation,” the company noted, stressing that empowering the youths in whatever guise will remain a continuous process until every youth is self-sustaining and independent.
Nobody will forget in a hurry how Nestlé is developing data journalism, climate change and sustainability, partnering the Pan Atlantic University to train young journalists, towards mastering their craft.
That, is the Nestlé advantage!
United States Representative Riley Moors has said further military strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria could follow recent operations ordered by President Donald Trump, describing the actions as aimed at improving security and protecting Christian communities facing violence.
Moore made the remarks during a televised interview in which he addressed U.S. military strikes carried out on Christmas Day against militant targets in North-west Nigeria.
The strikes were conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, according to U.S. and Nigerian officials.
“President Trump is not trying to bring war to Nigeria, he’s bringing peace and security to Nigeria and to the thousands of Christians who face horrific violence and death,” Moore said.
He said the Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State affiliates had provided hope to Christians in Nigeria, particularly in areas affected by repeated attacks during past festive periods.
According to U.S. authorities, the strikes targeted camps used by Islamic State-linked groups operating in parts of north-west Nigeria.
Nigerian officials confirmed that the operation was carried out with intelligence support from Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.
The United States Africa Command said the operation was intended to degrade the operational capacity of extremist groups responsible for attacks on civilians and security forces.
Nigerian authorities have described the targeted groups as a threat to national security, noting their involvement in killings, kidnappings and raids on rural communities.
Moore said the strikes marked a shift from previous years in which attacks were carried out against civilians during the Christmas period. He said the U.S. administration was focused on preventing further violence by targeting militant groups before they could launch attacks.
U.S. officials have said the military action was carried out with the consent of the Nigerian government and formed part of broader security cooperation between the two countries. Nigeria has received intelligence, training and logistical support from international partners as it seeks to contain militant activity.
Moore had previously called for stronger international attention to attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and has urged continued U.S. engagement in addressing extremist violence. He said further action would depend on developments on the ground and continued coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Nigerian officials have maintained that counter-terrorism operations are directed at armed groups threatening civilians, regardless of religion, and have reiterated their commitment to restoring security across affected regions.
World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned that any attempt to hurriedly re‑gazette Nigeria’s new tax laws could undermine parliamentary oversight and set a dangerous constitutional precedent.
Atiku’s warning follows public scrutiny over reports that the Tax Reform Acts signed by President Bola Tinubu differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly. Lawmakers, including Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns that the alterations could pose serious legal and constitutional risks, noting that they were not backed by any constitutional framework.
In a statement on X, Atiku said the directive to re-gazette the Acts effectively confirms “that the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act does not reflect what was duly passed by the National Assembly,” calling it “a grave constitutional issue.”
He emphasized that under Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, a bill only becomes law after passage by both chambers, presidential assent, and gazetting.
“Gazetting is merely an administrative act of publication. It does not create, amend, or validate a law,” Atiku said, adding that any post-passage insertion, deletion, or modification without legislative approval constitutes forgery rather than a clerical error.
Atiku further warned that rushing a re-gazetting while legislative investigations are ongoing “undermines parliamentary oversight and sets a dangerous precedent,” stressing that the only lawful approach is “fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, fresh presidential assent, and proper gazetting.”
The former vice president clarified that his position is not opposition to tax reform but a defence of constitutional order.
“This is a defence of the integrity of the legislative process and a rejection of any attempt to normalise constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts,” he said.
The Federal government has denied wrongdoing, insisting the laws will take effect as scheduled on January 1, 2026, while the National Assembly has directed the issuance of Certified True Copies of the Acts to ensure clarity and accuracy.
