An efforts to tackle the challenge of youth employment in Nigeria was given a boost as Nigerian Bottling Company Limited (NBC) launched an initiative to empower the nations’ youth in Lagos.
The initiative, tagged Youth Empowered is a training workshop programme to support, empower and provide youths with basic life and business skills for their personal development and self-sustenance and it represents Coca-Cola global Hellenic project designed to solve unemployment.
George Polymenakos, Managing Director of Nigerian Bottling Company Limited while speaking at the event charged the youth to take advantage of the unique opportunities being provided by the company to enhance or sharpen their skills as they prepare for life challenges after graduation.
Polymenakos said the idea behind the initiative was borne out of the need to tackle unemployment adding that it was committed on a long term to support government by helping to bridge skill gaps which are quite prevalent among modern day graduates. This, he said would go a long way to reduce restiveness among the Nigerian youths.
According to him, the company has a plan of training not less than 100,000 pool of young men and women by strengthening their human capacity for the task ahead.
He said “By 2020, we project to support through training and mentorship, over 100,000 young unemployed people between the ages of 18-30 to acquire invaluable life skills, business skills and long-lasting networks that can assure their transition to meaningful employment”.
Sade Morgan, The Company’s Legal, Public Affairs and Communications Director said the NBC Youth Empowered is committed to empowering youths in communities, liberating their fortunes and supporting one of the government’s sustainability development goals.
Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, Founder of Rise Network, while giving her speech 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.
KELECHI EWUZIE
