NBC launches initiative to empower 10,000 youths

Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) has yet again demonstrated its commitment to empower Nigerian youths, with its recent launch in Lagos of an initiative tagged ‘Youth Empowered.’ It is a training workshop programme to support and provide youths with basic life and business skills for their personal development and sustenance.

While speaking at the launch, NBC’s Managing Director, George Polymenakos, said youths remain major focal stakeholders in NBC’s community intervention programmes and sustainability initiatives, adding, “Over the years, NBC has built and maintained strong community trust into our corporate strategy, which has driven our business to invest time, expertise and resources in locally relevant initiatives to facilitate socio-economic development of our communities, especially amongst the youth.”

The Youth Empowered initiative, according to him, was designed to take participants through workshops in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano to help them discover themselves, understand their strengths and developmental opportunities, and also provide them a platform for meaningful interaction with business leaders and mentors.

“Participants would be taken through a 3-day business skill workshop designed to give them skills in project and time management, business planning, negotiation, financial literacy, communication and sales skills that would help them thrive in the business environment,” he said. “The trainings would take place physically, with on-line versions available and is expected to reach a total of 10,000 youths.”

The company’s Legal, Public Affairs and Communications Director, Sade Morgan, said, “NBC Youth Empowered is committed to empowering youths in communities, liberating their fortunes and supporting one of government’s sustainability development goals of ‘eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.’ The participating youths would have firsthand experience that would serve as a launch pad to start on the right foot, with guidance from professionals and experienced business mentors.”

Founder of Rise Network, Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, challenged the youths to take their future seriously by investing in ventures that would advance the cause of their development and success in the workplace and life in general. She noted that the era of youth relying on government’s support to cater for their needs was no longer feasible in this age and time, given government’s attitude to solving unemployment.

The initiative is part of the one Coca-Cola Hellenic project designed to support over 500,000 young, unemployed people between the ages of 18 – 30 by 2020, to build life and business skills and long-lasting networks that would translate to meaningful employment and self-sufficiency. NBC and its parent company, Coca-Cola Hellenic have established themselves as reference points for world-class youth development and empowerment initiatives.