By Steve Agbota
Nestlé Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to support young people by boosting youth entrepreneurship and inspiring talented youths, as well as providing training and job opportunities in the country.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the organisation, which said the purpose of the company’s commitment towards youth empowerment was to ensure they gain the skills that would enable them make positive contributions towards building peace in the society.
The company said the youth initiative programme was in line with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8), which aims to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full off productive employment and decent work for all.
While joining the rest of the world to celebrate the 2017 International Youth Day with the theme, “Youth Building Peace,” the company’s Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mauricio Alarcon, charged the youths on the need to leverage the myriad opportunities available to them today.
Alarcon who said, “today’s youths are better equipped to make positive impact in the fast-paced world we live in,” encouraged them to maximise the use of technology and get creative to harness the vast potential in themselves to create value for society.
He added: “You can do so many things today. As I see the great advantages of being a young person today, I also understand the hard challenges of managing so many prospects that no other generation prior to you ever had. Therefore, I think it is a great opportunity to sit together today to discuss how to seize these opportunities to really make a difference. You make a difference when you are young. Your potential is there; your dreams are there. So celebrate the youth, but more importantly, grab that unique chance that you have today.”
Speaking at the event, National Coordinator, African Youth Initiative for Crime Prevention, Mr. Chris Ibeh, dwelt on the need for the current crop of youths to be at the forefront of brokering peace in the society.
He encouraged the youth to aspire to and to take up leadership positions, urging them to shun tribalism, offensive religious sentiments, corruption, greed and all other acts that could breach societal peace.
In his statement, the Agbara Factory Manager, Mr. Walid Hbaika, stressed the need for youths to take everything they are learning with utmost seriousness because this is a turning point in their lives, where they are being sharpened for a world of challenges and opportunities.
Also speaking, Nestlé Nigeria’s Head of Human Resources Mr. Adesola Akinyosoye, encouraged the youths to embrace the key elements of learning agility to enable them succeed in today’s highly competitive environment. “The present-day world is not driven by mere activity but by results. Every activity one engages in must therefore be productive,” he said.