Nestlé Supports Rural Women To Build Financial Security

Nestlé Nigeria, through its Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria project, has empowered 282 rural women to build financial security, thereby, improving their standard of living.

This is achieved through training, mentorship, and grants in form of Nestlé products. Beneficiaries of the programme are female retailers in Nestlé Nigeria’s value chain.

Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria aims to help beneficiaries scale up their businesses and sustain the new level of up to three times the size of their existing businesses.

Each beneficiary receives grants valued at 300 per cent of their monthly sales in form of Nestlé products, business training, a 3-month mentorship program and linked to a mentor for one-on-one coaching over the three months, to ensure their success.

Nestlé Nigeria’s commercial manager, Mr. Khaled Ramadan, at the induction of the 32 women from Ikorodu who recently joined the the project, said: “We are pleased with the success of the 250 beneficiaries of Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria and are delighted by the opportunity to include 32 more today.

“With this addition, 282 women across five geopolitical zones of Nigeria now have a unique opportunity to scale up their businesses by 300 per cent. We are confident that the new beneficiaries will also transform their businesses, making the best use of the support Nestlé is providing through training, mentorship and grants in form of Nestlé products.”

Head, partnerships & training at FDConsults, implementation partner of Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria Project, Mr. Phranklin Audu, said: “as an NGO focused on empowering people to improve their livelihoods, we are thrilled by the impact of this project on rural communities. Over 80 per cent of the beneficiaries have seen their incomes grow and can support their families better.”

Nestlé Empowering Rural Women in Nigeria Project began in August 2021, with 50 female retailers from the suburbs of Abuja. The programme has expanded to include more women from the South-East, North-East, South-South, and SouthWest, including Lagos. Over 80 per cent of beneficiaries have reported an increase of 100 per cent to 200 per cent in their business growth within three months of joining the programme.

The best performing beneficiary, Mrs. Oghenetega Delight Jombo, of Jombo Stores, Port Harcourt, reached a business growth of 675 per cent within six months of joining the program, and has sustained a monthly turnover of over N547,623.67.