Assessing Nestle Nigeria’s Contribution To Women’s Empowerment In Nigeria
A cross section beneficiaries of “Nestlé Nigeria’s Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria Project” and some trainers in Ikorodu during the induction.
By EDET UDOH
Statistics released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its recent report showed that Nigerian women account for 70 per cent of the country’s extremely poor, even though they comprise only 49.3 per cent of the general population.
The Development Partner Group On Gender (DPGG) in its Press Statement, entitled “Accelerating Gender Equality” released during the celebration of 2024 International Women’s Day, in March, stated that the gender gap in economic participation and opportunity remains a significant concern globally.
In Nigeria, according to DPGG, women’s labour force participation rate stands at 56%, compared to 80% for men, showing a substantial disparity in workforce representation, noting that the gender wage gap remains a stark reality, with women earning 45% less than men in similar roles.
Emphasising the need to address this gap, DPGG advocated for a comprehensive approach through prioritization of policies and initiatives that promote women’s economic empowerment, including migrants, displaced and diaspora, such as providing access to quality education, financial services, improving vocational training, supporting women-led businesses, and enhancing women’s participation in decision-making processes.
“Female empowerment in Nigeria is an economic process that involves empowering Nigerian women as a poverty reduction measure. Empowerment is the development of women in terms of politics, and social and economic strength in nation development.
“It is also a way of reducing women’s vulnerability and dependency in all spheres of life. It can be noted that the aggregate of educational, political, health and legal empowerment are key to women’s empowerment in Nigeria. Like many African women, Nigerian women have a subordinate role to their male counterparts. There are twice as many women below the poverty line than men and up to 19 times as many men in executive positions than women,” (Wikipedia).
What this means is that there is a need for women to be given equal opportunity with their men counterparts in every aspect of life. Women are known as good managers of resources and empowering them will enhance their capacity not only to take care of their homes but also to contribute meaningfully to nation building.
It is in the realization of the significant importance that empowering the women can engender sustainable economic growth, and in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goal number 5, that Nestle Nigeria over the years introduced various initiatives such as “Nestle Nigeria’s Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria” project aimed at educating and empowering women to be economically and financially independent.
It is also aimed at empowering rural women in Nigeria to scale up their retail businesses and sustain the new level up to three times the size of their existing businesses through training, mentorship, and grants in the form of Nestlé products that will see Nestle contributing significantly to the wellbeing of Nigerians.
Between 2021 when the programme was launched and today, Over 332 women have been empowered across Nigeria by Nestle Nigeria through its “Nestlé Nigeria’s Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria Project”, a programme through which Nestlé is helping rural women in Nigeria build financial security to improve their standard of living.
Beneficiaries of the programme are female retailers in Nestlé Nigeria’s value chain.
The programme is structured to allow each beneficiary to receive grants valued at 300% of their monthly sales in the form of Nestlé products, business training and a three-month mentorship programme.
Each beneficiary is linked to a mentor for one-on-one coaching for three months, to ensure their success. Over 80% of beneficiaries have reported an increase of 100% to 200% in their business growth within three months of joining the programme.
Indeed, the programme has significantly impacted the lives of many women in Nigeria and so far the programme has been taken to all part of the country.
After the launch of the first phase of the programme in August 2021 in Abuja where the first batch of 50 women retailers were selected, the programme was shifted to South-Western Nigeria.
The launch of the second phase of the programme in Oshogbo, Ede and Ilesha Osun State in November 2021, brought in another 50 women who were inducted bringing the total number of women so far to 100.
In February 2022 in Nsukka and Obolo-Afor, both in Enugu State, where the programme was launched, an additional 50 women retailers were reached and inducted, bringing the number of beneficiaries then to 150.
Again, in June and September 2022, the programme added 50 more women from Port Harcourt, South-South and Bauchi State in the North-Eastern region respectively bringing the number of beneficiaries to 250.
Some beneficiaries of the project displaying their goods as part of their induction program in Ikorodu.
In May 2023, at Ikorodu, Lagos State, an additional 32 women were inducted to join the existing 250 beneficiaries thereby increasing the number of women so far empowered under the programme to 282.
In September 2023, another set of 50 women from Sagamu were trained and empowered bringing the total number of beneficiaries so far to 332.
Speaking at the launch of the first phase of the project in Abuja in August 2021, Nestlé Nigeria’s Commercial Manager, Mr. Khaled Ramadan said: “Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria” is aimed at making significant contributions to the well-being of the 50 retailers selected in this first phase, who already have a business relationship with Nestlé.
“We are confident that the support we will be providing through training, mentorship and grants will go a long way towards helping them improve their standards of living by increasing their sales outputs. We are excited to see the start of the implementation of this first phase of the project and look forward to the eventual scale-up to reach more women across Nigeria.
“Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria is designed to help the selected retailers scale up their businesses and sustain a new level of growth up to three times the size of their existing business.
“Training will be provided by our implementation partners with a track record of helping rural dwellers access information and skills to improve their standards of living. In addition, the retailers will be linked to one one-on-one mentors for additional guidance and consistent support to ensure their success,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, Phranklin Audu, Lead Trainer & Head of Partnerships at Straplan Advisory Ltd, said, “For Nestle, the overarching goal is to ensure that these 50 selected participants can triple their income and ultimately improve their livelihoods.
Participants were selected from three area districts in Abuja – Kubwa, Nyanya and Gwagwalada, to undergo a period of business coaching and mentoring to help them strengthen their business process in a bid to scale their businesses.
He commended Nestlé for such a laudable project and expressed hope that the project is sustained and replicated across other states and regions of the country. And today, Nestle has yielded to this appeal not only by ensuring the continuity but by ensuring that the programme is taken to all the geographical zones of Nigeria.
At the induction of the thirty-two new beneficiaries in Ikorodu in May 2023, Nestlé Nigeria’s Commercial Manager, Mr. Khaled Ramadan expressed excitement on the level of success the programme has recorded so far.
He said, “We are pleased with the success of the 250 beneficiaries of Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria and are delighted by the opportunity to include 32 more today.
“With this addition, 282 women across various geopolitical zones of Nigeria now have a unique opportunity to scale up their businesses by 300%. We are confident that the new beneficiaries will also transform their businesses, making the best use of the support Nestlé is providing through training, mentorship and grants in the form of Nestlé products.”
Mr. Phranklin Audu, Head, of Partnerships & Training at FDConsults, implementation partner of Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria Project said, “As an NGO focused on empowering people to improve their livelihoods, we are thrilled by the impact of this project on rural communities. Over 80% of the beneficiaries have seen their incomes grow and can support their families better.”
Nestlé’s Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Victoria Uwadoka, reiterated the company’s commitment to building thriving communities by improving household incomes.
“Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria Project is one of the ways through which Nestlé Nigeria is Creating Shared Value along her value chain,” she said.
The beneficiaries from the various zones where the programme has been taken to did not hide their feelings as they expressed excitement and appreciation to Nestle for giving them opportunity to be part of the project.
In Ikorodu, one of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Olubunmi Adeoye, said “I am so happy that Nestlé chose me to benefit from this programme. It is a wonderful opportunity.”
Another beneficiary, Mrs. Bukola Ajala, thanked Nestlé for the empowerment and the free goods they provided, saying, “I have not seen any empowerment like this before. I know I am going to the next level.
The best-performing beneficiary, Mrs. Oghenetega Delight Jombo, of Jombo Stores, Port Harcourt, said she reached a business growth of 675% within six months of joining the programme, adding that she has sustained a monthly turnover of over N547,623.67 since. She thanked Nestle for giving her the opportunity.
Mrs. Clementina Irandi said” I am very happy and I do not know how to express myself for being one of the 50 women chosen to participate in this empowerment by Nestlé.
“The free goods and training we received today will be particularly helpful in taking my business to the next level. I thank Nestlé for everything they have done for me and my family.”
Aminat Kolawole is an indigene of the Batoro community in Ogun state. She said she has been running a small business for eight years in Sagamu, where she sells food and beverages, toiletries, drinks, and household consumables.
She was excited that her business, Idera Oluwa Stores, was selected for the project.
“I believe that this opportunity will provide the necessary knowledge and resources to grow my business so I can earn more money to support my family and cater for my children’s education,” she opined.
Expressing her delight on behalf of other beneficiaries, Aminat said, “We are greatly pleased at the opportunity to be included in this programme. A big thank you to Nestlé for investing in us. Our promise to the company is that we will maximize this opportunity for the benefit of our families and communities”.
For Folasade Ogunjimi of Save Way Stores Sagamu, another beneficiary of the programme, “This is the first time a company is bringing this amazing initiative to retailers in Sagamu in my 25 years of running this business. We sincerely appreciate this well-planned and considerate gesture by Nestlé towards supporting and expanding our businesses”.
These testimonies by the beneficiaries in various parts of the country is a testament of the impact of the project in the business and life of the beneficiaries.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 7th batch into the Project in Sagamu, Nestlé Nigeria’s Commercial Manager, Khaled Ramadan, said “Creating shared value within our communities is core in the way we do business. At Nestlé, we strive to make a positive impact on society while ensuring the sustainability of our business.
“The Rural Women Empowerment Programme is not a one-time event but an ongoing process of value creation. The stories and testimonials from previous beneficiaries, particularly 100% to 200% business growth within three months of joining the programme, encourage us to do more.
“Onboarding women from Sagamu, one of our host communities, is a significant milestone in our commitment to empowerment and sustainable development and we are proud to have an opportunity to make a tangible difference in their lives”.
“Through this project, Nestlé continues to help solve the challenge of poverty by empowering rural women across Nigerian communities, lifting them off the poverty spectrum and improving their livelihoods. We are delighted to be project partners for the training and mentoring on this credible initiative”.
According to Kabiesi Odofin Soyindo who represented the Akarigbo of Remoland, HRM Oba Babatunde Adewale Ajayi, commended Nestle for their gesture.
“I commend Nestlé for this sustainable venture and empowerment of Sagamu women. This is a noble initiative, and we are glad that our community is benefitting from corporate programmes like this from Nestlé. To the beneficiaries, I urge you to establish your priorities and judiciously use the grants provided to you for the expansion of your businesses”.
Nestlé Nigeria expects that the business owners would leverage the improvement to better their living standards, including food, shelter, and the education of their children.
In conclusion, Nestle Nigeria is passionate about the prosperity of the people living within it’s operating environment and the growth of the nation in general. This is demonstrated in various initiatives embarked upon by the Company such as “Nestle Nigeria’s Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria” project. It is expected that the beneficiaries of this programme will use the knowledge gained through various trainings and mentorships and the grant given to them to improve the fortune of their businesses and the standard of living of their families and thereby empowering the next generation of women.
