The management of non-alcoholic beverage giant, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited, said it recently concluded a three-day workshop in Benin, Edo State where it engaged over 1,000 youths in a bid to improve their fortunes and create viable opportunities for growth.
This, it said in a statement, was in furtherance of its commitment to empower over 15,000 youths by 2019.
The workshop in Benin represents the second location to be visited this year and the fifth in total since the programme commenced in October last year, the firm said in the statement on Thursday.
The Governor of Edo state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, was quoted as saying while delivering the opening remarks that he was delighted with the empowerment programme.
He advised participants to make the best use of the skills, which the NBC platform had created, promising that he would not hesitate to support participants with the best ideas with necessary funding.
While commending the NBC for creating the platform, Obaseki reassured the company of his administration’s total support for such laudable idea, noting that this would go a long way to complement the administration’s policies of creating opportunities for youths by acquiring skills that would match existing job opportunities through the ‘Edo Jobs’ portal.
“We are happy for what the NBC is doing. I think it is a laudable initiative aimed at addressing the unemployment challenge. I believe if youths that fall within the age range of 20 to 32 years, who make up 65 per cent of Nigeria’s population are assisted to discover and improve their talent, Nigeria will become better for it,” he said.
The Public Affairs and Country Corporate Social Responsibility Manager (East/Central), NBC, Mr. Ekuma Eze, urged participants to take advantage of the unique opportunity which the initiative had provided by developing brilliant business ideas that would attract funding and create opportunities for business.