Nestle Partners IITA On Empowerment For Youth Agripreneurs

As part of activities lined up to mark this year’s International Youth Day, Nestle in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Youth Agripreneurs hosted over 90 National Youth Service Corps members, aspiring agripreneurs and budding farmers at the IITA Conference Centre in Ibadan.

The programme empowered the youths on the opportunities that exist within the food and agriculture value chain.

Sola Akinyosoye, Country Human Resources Manager Nestlé Nigeria, while speaking at the workshop explained that the Nestlé Needs Youth initiative was one of the ways Nestlé mitigates the scourge of youth unemployment in the society.

According to him, the initiative focuses on several programmes and campaigns to boost entrepreneurship and employability among the youth through career fairs and skills training to equip young people to find decent employment or profitable entrepreneurship.

Akinyosoye, stated that celebrating the 2019 International Youth Day provides an opportunity to draw the attention of youths to available opportunities in agriculture and that through the ‘Nestlé Needs Youth’ initiative focus was on the creation of job opportunities and empowerment for the youth.

“We do this around three pillars; one of them is employment and employability. We ensure that we train, equip and give support for young Nigerians so they can be self-employed and get employment with us or other companies,” he said.

Also, Dr. Fredrick Schreurs Chief Executive Officer, Business Incubation Platform, IITA, posited that youth engagement will pave way for sustainable growth in the agriculture