Beyond Business: How Diageo is inspiring hope among Nigerian youths

At 21, Onyinye Faustina from Enugu State carries a burden far heavier than her age. She was at tender age of 11 when she lost her mother and not long after, death also took her father. Since then, life has been a painful struggle, filled with hardship and uncertainty for the young girl.

She is the fourth child out of six children. Having roamed the streets in search of a good life with fewer skills, no funds and no university education to back it, she heard about Diageo’s ‘Learning for Life’ programme, and she applied for it.

Out of over 1,000 youth that applied nationwide, Onyinye got enlisted for the 12-week programme, divided into a classroom/online training phase and an industry internship. In the classroom, Onyinye realised that her story is not totally different from some of the other 156 students who were finally selected for the course.

The Learning for Life initiative by Diageo, a global beverage company, was introduced in Nigeria as part of the company’s efforts to tackle unemployment and equip young people with industry-relevant skills needed to secure jobs and become entrepreneurs.

The students who graduated recently were trained in various aspects of hospitality industry operations such as customer service, bar operations, confidence, protocol and decorum, resolving conflict in the workplace, and communication skills.

Today, Onyinye has secured a job in a hotel in Victory Estate, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, where she had her internship, she told the audience. Some of the graduands also have either secured jobs or have improved in their service where they are already engaged before the training, including another graduand, Sowunmi Adedalapo, who was a bar tender in a hotel.

The graduation ceremony had in attendance top Lagos Government representatives, which underscores the importance that youth empowerment is a pillar of economic growth. The government representation also reflects appreciation to Diageo and a message to other private operators that tackling unemployment is a shared responsibility and should not be left to the government alone.

For Adebayo Ali, General Manager for West and Central Africa for Diageo, the training and graduation, its maiden edition in Nigeria, was important for Diageo as it marks a re-commitment to assist in solving unemployment in Nigeria, which stands at about 5 percent.

Ali, who said that Diageo believes in making a positive impact in the society where it operates, added that the programme is designed to “support the youth for employment in Nigeria and give them the requisite skills to partake in the hospitality and tourism sector and help them with long-term career growth”.

Mobolaji Abubakre Ogunlende, Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, who oversees the ministry’s policy implementation, youth capacity-building, and child protection services, joined the graduands to appreciate Diageo for the empowerment and giving hope to the hopeless.

He assured that the Lagos government will continue to partner with the private sector in the journey of empowering the youth.

Ogunlende also believes the empowerment initiative was necessary, noting that nearly 60 percent of Lagos youths may not secure white-collar jobs, while the training has equipped many of them with the skills to become entrepreneurs.

The commissioner charged the graduands to be confident in what they do, stating that passion, professionalism, and pride are “what you need to thrive in your industry” advising them not to neglect the power of networking.

For Toke Benson Awoyinka, Commissioner for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Lagos State, while commending Diageo said at a time when the world is changing rapidly, it is not enough to simply criticize negative trends such as cybercrime and other unproductive activities among some youth people, instead, “we must also intentionally equip our youth with the skills, exposure and opportunities required to create meaningful economic value and build productive futures.”

Toke Benson Awoyinka, who was represented by Idera Yetunde, said the hospitality and creative sector especially remains vital to job creation.

In his comment, Tolani Sule, Commissioner for Tertiary Education, represented by Oluwakemi Kalesanwo, Director/Head, Lagos State Agency for Mass Education, said at a time when skills development and youth empowerment are critical to economic growth and social stability, programmes such as the Diageo initiative provide real opportunities for young people to build meaningful careers and sustainable livelihoods.

He commended Diageo Nigeria and all partner organisations for their commitment to human capital development and for investing in the future of our youths through the initiative.

Feyisayo Alayande, Executive Secretary of Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), enjoined the graduands to use the skills and knowledge acquired to serve as a foundation for their future success.

Today, Faustina Onyinye, Sowunmi Adedalapo and the remaining 155 graduands are not only happy, encouraged and inspired as the training is more than the certificate. But they are empowered as part of Nigeria’s solutions, and they remain grateful to Diageo for making them find hope again.