September 24, 2020 was not the global commemoration of the United Nations International Youth Day, which was August 12; neither was it the anniversary of the ‘Not Too Young to Rule’ bill sponsored by young Nigerians yearning to be involved in governance that fell on May 31.
It was also not the international commemoration of the Commonwealth Youth Council which held on February 21. It was the 2020 edition of the Nigerian Bottling Company’s (NBC) Youth Summit, an initiative aimed at positioning Nigerian youths to take advantage of the opportunities available in the evolving global economy.
Considering the high rate of youth unemployment in the country and the lack of clear direction on how they can achieve their life goals and support to do the same, the forum was timely. Secondquarter 2020 data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that youths account for 64 percent of unemployed Nigerians. The highest unemployment rate was recorded for those aged 15 – 24 years which was at 40.8 percent while ages 25 to 34 were at 30.7 percent. These statistics reveal a ticking time bomb which is capable of worsening the insecurity and poverty prevalent in the country.
The need to avert a crisis that could ensue from the seeming neglect of this substantial segment of the Nigerian demography was what motivated the NBC to organise the summit during which a brand new initiative known as the Nigeria Business League for Youth was unveiled.
The Nigeria Business League for Youth is a private sector initiative to remove obstacles impeding opportunities for youth in the country to succeed in their chosen career paths. Leading corporate players who warmly endorsed the initiative include Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), Nigerian Breweries Plc, Cadbury Nigeria Plc, IBM, and VEROD Capital Management, among others.
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Charting a pathway to success for the hundreds of participants during the virtual summit, Sunday Dare, the keynote speaker and Minister of Youth and Sports Development, who spoke on ‘Strategic Roadmap for Youth Development POST-COVID-19’, charged youths in Nigeria to turn current challenges into opportunities for employment and productivity.
Dare who also launched the Nigeria Business League for Youth disclosed that his ministry has started recalibrating its youth- oriented initiatives to ensure they deliver the skill sets and support that young people need to succeed now and POST-COVID-19.
He cited as an example the Ministry’s DEEL initiative – Digital skills acquisition, Entrepreneurship, Employability and Leadership, a programme aimed at mitigating against youth unemployment through sustainable partnerships with ICT skills hubs, research development, Agric value- chain, sports talent management, and capital financing platforms.
Dare asked privileged citizens to rally support for youth in Nigeria to ensure a swift and coordinated response, which goes beyond meeting immediate needs via palliatives. “Our youth are not a product but a resource to harness,” he added.
In her contribution entitled ‘Nigerian Youth: Reskilling for Self and National Development’, Ibukun Awosika, chairman, First Bank of Nigeria, commended NBC for holding the summit despite the uncertainties of the pandemic.
Awosika also made a case for vocational and entrepreneurial skills, noting that the era of relying on just academic knowledge was long gone.
“We must equip and train our youth to have a mindset for business. The youth should also look at their role within an organisation through the eyes of a business owner. We should provide technical education, bring back the era of City & Guilds. We must plan to deliberately empower our youth, equip and train them to have a mindset for national development,” she said.
Awosika also highlighted the importance of sustainable partnerships in empowering young people, stressing that: “It is not all about digital knowledge, it is about understanding the value-chain of businesses, harmonising skills, and strengthening partnership with passionate partners whose skills you don’t have but need to optimise business”.
She called on stakeholders to help young Nigerians improve their knowledge, set up intervention funds as seed capital for start-ups and initiate a development plan to harness their ideas.
In his presentation titled: ‘Positioning Yourself for Personal and Career Growth’, Jimi Tewe, human capital and transformational coach, stressed the importance of knowledge in navigating the current challenging times.
“If you need a job, you need usable and applicable knowledge POST-COVID because in every crisis lies the seed of opportunities. All you need is to take one step forward. Decide not to be a listener but a doer; stay optimistic, be referable, ensure you add value to people, and provide proof of what you have created. This will make you thrive regardless,” Tewe said.
Apart from the guest speakers, some young Nigerians shared their testimonials on the impact of Youth Empowered, an initiative by NBC which exemplifies the impact that can be made by the private sector.
NBC’S Youth Empowered Programme launched in 2017 and since then, has reached over 18,000 youth with training to build important life and business skills, as well as helping them to develop long-lasting networks to support their transition to meaningful employment or start a business.
Modupeoluwa Opoola, a fashion designer, who attended a Youth Empowered Programme in 2019 at Abeokuta, Ogun State disclosed that it helped her upscale her business. “My company has been strategically positioned to solve a problem in the society, and nothing is impossible for me now. We have empowered over 100 young adults and women across the state in adire making, revamping used clothes into more fashionable attire,” she said.
Another beneficiary of the program, Kolawole Sholanke said he established a recycling business after attending the training in 2018. Today, he has employed six employees and has more than 10 volunteers.
“I have sealed partnerships with the Oyo State Ministry of Environment and acquired three plots of land for plastic waste recovery and recycling plants. My business has grown,” he excitedly disclosed.
It is the similar success story for Dayo Ibitoye, a development communication professional and media strategist.
He recounts: “This training empowered me with skills, tools and network that shaped my media and communications career. Recently, I got a scholarship to study Communications and Story-telling at Harvard. Today, I work as a Media Communications & Brands Specialist. All of these would not have been possible without The Nigerian Bottling Company”.
But the major highlight from the 2020 NBC Youth Summit had to be the endorsement of The Nigeria Business League for Youth by some of the most respected corporates in Nigeria.
Affirming Nigerian Breweries support for the Nigeria Business League for Youth, Borrut Bel, the company’s chief executive officer, thanked NBC for the initiative and highlighted its interventions for uplifting Nigerian youths.
“We are passionate about winning with Nigerians; winning with Nigerians means we understand that we are part of the society, and this society largely comprises youths. This is a serious commitment from our side as well, and we are happy to join this league,” he said.
Also speaking, Oyeyimika Adeboye, the managing director of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, said it was time the private sector worked with the government to secure the future of Nigerian youths.
“Our contribution from the private sector is to work with the government and to partner with the government to ensure that our youths are prepared for the future of Nigeria. So, our commitment as
Cadbury Nigeria Plc is to work with various private sector enterprises to partner and help to develop our youths, and we do this in various ways.”
Speaking in the same vein, Chigozie Ejimogu, who represented Danladi Verhijer, the managing director of Verod Capital, also affirmed the firm’s commitment to the Nigeria Business League for Youth while commending the initiative.
“We know this is an investment in Nigeria’s future. So, we are honoured to be part of this investment today. We give our kudos to the visionaries behind it, and we will support solidly in any way we can. Building on what we are already doing, finding courage from what we have seen today, and having the motivation to expand our scope and do more for Nigerian youths.”
Commenting on the coalition, Matthieu Seguin, managing director, NBC, said, “it is obvious that a consortium of efforts, network of private sector organizations will go a long way in addressing the issues youths face, in alignment with the National Youth Policy.
“Together, we can do more and better and in partnership with relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government, we will empower the Nigerian youth to drive the 21st Century economy for Nigeria,” Seguin said.
With its commendable action, the NBC has heeded the admonition of Franklin Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States of America, who said: “We cannot always build the future for our youth but, we can always build our youths for the future.”
The company is strategically helping the youth to find their bearing in a rapidly globalising world and monetise their skills. It is also helping to bridge Nigeria’s youth unemployment while preparing them for a productive future.
