NBC, Foundation train women on entrepreneurial skills

In a bid to accelerate the economic inclusion of women in Nigeria, the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd recently partnered with Karis & Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation to train 1000 women on viable entrepreneurial skills across eight states of the federation.

The first set of beneficiaries numbering 200 have been trained in Lagos, with seven other states set to benefit from the initiative.

The intervention, tagged #NBCEmpowerHer, is being implemented under the company’s recent one million euros donation to support communities through social impact programmes.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of the programme in Lagos, the company’s Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Director, Ekuma Eze, reiterated their commitment to promoting the economic empowerment of women in Nigeria.

“We owe our success story to Nigeria, which is the birthplace of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company and, more specifically, to the women who represent a sizeable chunk of our distribution network. We recognise that women are the pillars that hold every community together, and empowering them is central to every sustainable society,” he said.

Explaining the rationale for the initiative, Ekuma said they considered it expedient to give back to communities as a celebration of a shared heritage.

“This initiative is one of the several interventions we are implementing across Nigeria around key focus areas, including youth and women empowerment, recycling, water, sanitation and hygiene,” he added.

Earlier, the Executive Director, Karis and Eleos Hand of Hope Foundation, Bukola Bamiduro, stated that many women in Nigerian communities were largely marginalised, adding: “Karis and Eleos was founded because we believe that by training women, we can make a difference in our communities. We are grateful to have partners like NBC who believe in us and our vision to improve the lives of women and make them bankable.”

Through the partnership, the #NBCEmpowerHer initiative would reach 1,000 women across seven states, including Lagos, Oyo, Kano, Rivers, Imo, Borno, Edo and also the FCT Abuja. Through the initiative, women of all ages have been trained in vocational skills like baking, makeup, shoe making, among others. They have also been exposed to relevant business management tools, including how to promote their enterprises on social media and basic bookkeeping.

Beneficiaries in Lagos were provided with startup kits for their businesses at the closing ceremony. In addition, NBC supported 25 beneficiaries to join the company’s network of retailers and further assisted them with opportunities to access seed capital.

First Lady of Lagos State, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the wife of Ojodu local council chairman, Odumbaku Abimbola, commended NBC for the initiative, noting that the company’s effort would go a long way in alleviating poverty and boosting the local economy.