The Executive Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, has commended the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Limited for its commitment to empowering Nigerian youths through programs that enable them to contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of the nation.
This commendation was made by the governor while declaring open the Company’s Youth Empowered Program held in Owerri, the Imo State capital recently.
Uzodinma, in a statement thanked NBC for hosting the 2022 edition of the Youth Empowered program in the state, noting that the initiative consolidates the government’s efforts in accelerating youth development.
He said: “The program is greatly needed in this present day and age marked by a major shift from the traditional workforce and I believe that it will not only benefit the young people in attendance today but also Imo State and the Nigerian economy at large.”
This year’s edition marks the successful continuation of NBC’s Youth Empowered initiative which commenced in 2017 and has since impacted over 22,000 youths. The initiative is part of the organization’s commitment to strategically complement national efforts towards enabling youths to unleash their potential whilst creating an enabling business environment that supports innovation and growth of the Nigerian economy.
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The two-day intensive workshop featured trainings on a range of globally relevant skills, including project management, business planning, sales and negotiation, job readiness, amongst others.
Earlier in his remark, the Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Director at NBC, Ekuma Eze, said: “We are pleased to continue this exciting journey to expand the vista of opportunities for millions of youths across Nigeria. Not only are we happy to provide these youth with the vital tools they need to thrive in our increasingly competitive world, this program also represents a major step towards the fulfillment of our goals to build a world where youths can discover themselves, understand their strengths and bolster their confidence to succeed.
“Our vision is that with NBC’s social investment, these youths can also make positive contributions and impact on their families, communities, and the country at large.”
Speaking at the commencement of the program, Ifeoma Okoye, Corporate Affairs & Community Partnerships Manager, East & Centra, at NBC, said the intervention was designed to address the challenge of unemployment through skills and entrepreneurship development. According to her: “The trainings are carefully curated to prepare participants for exposure to global opportunities whilst empowering them with relevant career, life, vocational and business skills that are critical for success in the emerging global economy.”
Since the launch of NBC’s Youth Empowered in 2017, the program has reached over 22,000 youths across 10 cities, 7 campuses and within the digital space in partnership with IBM. Beneficiaries have been trained on entrepreneurship and employability skills. The intervention has also led to the birth of many start-ups in different fields in the blue, green and digital economy, with tangible contributions to the Nigerian economy.
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