For many young Nigerians, there is often a struggle to find work. This issue is exacerbated by the fact that many lack the skills to get into employment, lack any experience and then lack any employers willing to give them a chance.
This can be a challenging process for individuals, especially those leaving school having obtained certificates but lacking access to the technical training employers want. Or they don’t have the funds, skills and support needed to make their ideas a source of income.
To help tackle this issue, Nestlé Nigeria Plc have implemented a variety of initiatives to help with skills, entrepreneurialism, scholarships and community sports. Helping to deliver Nestlé Needs YOUth, a global initiative focused on helping young people gain access to economic opportunities.
This means we can look at how the private sector can invest in young people.
15 Years of Technical Skills
In 2011, Nestlé Nigeria started a Technical Training Centre at their Agbara factory in Ogun State. Designed to help train young Nigerians with practical skills in engineering such as mechanical fitting, electrical, instrumentation and automation.
Since 2011, more training centres have been opened across their other locations, including Abaji in the Federal Capital Territory and Flowergate in Sagamu, Ogun State.
Unlike many training schemes, this training has a practical approach. Over 18 months, trainees will gain skills to work towards professional accreditation via City & Guilds, an internationally-known vocational qualification organisation.
This helps to address concerns regarding the lack of practical skills.
Manufacturing companies can struggle to recruit due to a lack of properly-trained technicians. Young Nigerians can lack any relevant experience to obtain their first job. Providing a scheme that includes training and practical experience can help overcome this.
The scheme reached its 15-year anniversary in May 2026, with over ₦6 billion invested and 309 young Nigerians trained across their three centres.
The scheme was celebrated by graduating 20 trainees from the Abaji centre.
Whilst it provides clear metrics, it is more important to consider what this training allows the trainees to do.
Opportunities After Training
Vocational training can be beneficial for those completing the course.
In December 2024, Nestlé confirmed that 20 young Nigerians had completed their training scheme in Agbara. Graduates received their City & Guilds qualifications and the top 5 trainees were selected to undertake an 8-week apprenticeship at Nestlé’s technical sites in Orbe and Broc in Switzerland.
This gave them the opportunity to gain extra experience in a different industry.
Nestlé also confirmed that the scheme had so far created nearly 230 graduates with an incredible 98% securing roles within Nestlé Nigeria.
This is a key point to consider. Whilst the scheme may have trained thousands of young people, the opportunity it is providing is key. Whilst a scheme may train a lot of individuals, the true value of the training depends on if they can utilise their skills.
In 2026, Nestlé confirmed that 309 trainees had been trained across their three centres.
This suggests that providing training relevant to the needs of an employer can help individuals obtain roles. However, it is interesting to consider how many individuals are still in employment, how much they are earning and if they have been able to progress into management/specialist roles.
This would give a more detailed insight into the impact of the scheme.
Entrepreneurial Initiatives
Not all young people will wish to pursue a career in engineering or industrial manufacture. Instead, some will want to start their own business or need an opportunity to earn money whilst developing their long term ambitions.
Nestlé Professional’s My Own Business (MYOWBU) initiative focuses on providing opportunities for young people to start their own businesses selling drinks such as NESCAFÉ and MILO using a stall-based business model.
This provides an opportunity for those taking part to run a small stall-based business.
In June 2025, Nestlé Professional held a workshop in Lagos to train over 300 operators and attendants on their MYOWBU scheme. This was to improve their business and operational skills.
The importance of this scheme is that it provides an opportunity for people to start a business. This can be a good opportunity for those who may not have enough funds to start a larger business.
Stalls can provide an opportunity to start self employment. Individuals will gain skills in dealing with customers, managing daily transactions and understanding the practical aspects of running a business.
However, just being given the opportunity to run a stall does not guarantee financial independence. Whether the business is profitable will depend on how much they are selling, costs, availability of products, location and how they are involved in the business.
Therefore, it is important to consider the long term value of the scheme based on how many businesses have survived, how much money they are earning and how much they are able to grow their business.
This will indicate whether the scheme is providing a short-term opportunity or helping young entrepreneurs create sustainable businesses.
Supporting Education
Supporting young people can begin long before they enter the workforce.
Many students come from low income backgrounds meaning that they may struggle to stay in school due to the cost of education. This can be helped by providing scholarships to help reduce the cost of education, especially if families are struggling with paying for school.
Nestlé Nigeria’s Community Scholarship Scheme supports students from communities in which they operate. This includes Agbara, Sagamu and Owode in Ogun State and Abaji in the Federal Capital Territory.
In 2024, the scheme added 65 new beneficiaries, making a total of 179. The scheme provides financial assistance to eligible students attending senior secondary and tertiary education.
Whilst this doesn’t guarantee employment, it can help students continue their education and develop knowledge to help with future opportunities.
It is important to consider the value of this training. If it is coupled with career advice, practical skills and information on opportunities it can help students develop.
As the company operates in the communities, it can help support local development.
This should be considered in the long term by looking at how far students have progressed with their education.
Community Sports
Nestlé Nigeria also support young people through community sports. Their MILO Secondary School Basketball Championship has been going for over 25 years. Giving students the opportunity to play basketball, develop their skills and compete against others from across the country.
In 2025, Nestlé confirmed that over 13,000 schools took part in the 25 th edition. The scheme also continues to include everyone. Including children with special abilities, introduced in previous editions.
This helps to empower young people differently. Giving individuals the opportunity to improve their teamwork, discipline, leadership, confidence and resilience.
For some, the competition may give them further sporting opportunities. However, for many, it helps individuals to work as a team, overcome challenges and understand how to balance their ambitions with the needs of a team.
The scheme has a large reach with the basketball championship. However, it is important to consider how many students have progressed with their basketball and if they have benefited from the scheme in terms of development.
This will help provide clarity on how investing in community sports can help develop young people.
Long Term Impact
Looking at Nestlé Nigeria’s initiatives, we can see how the private sector can support young people. Providing technical training to reduce skills gaps, entrepreneurial initiatives to provide self employment opportunities, scholarships to help with education and sporting initiatives to help with personal development.
They also show that empowering young people can be measured in a variety of ways.
A young technician who has gained stable employment, a student who has completed their degree thanks to scholarships, a vendor who has created a successful business and a school athlete who has improved their confidence and discipline can all see benefits from the schemes.
Overall, it shows that they all have a common goal to help increase the options available to young people to make meaningful decisions regarding their future.
There is clearly a need for more opportunities for young people in Nigeria. Employers require skilled workers, young people need opportunities to get into productive employment and aspiring entrepreneurs need support to set up sustainable businesses.
Whilst initiatives like this can help, it cannot fully replace the duties of government, education and other employers. With the scale of the issue, collaboration, ongoing investment and creating an environment for businesses to grow and create more opportunities is required.
It is also important to consider if the schemes are having a long term impact. Whilst knowing how many individuals have been trained, received scholarships or have been reached by entrepreneurs is a key starting point, it becomes more valuable if we know how many have retained employment, increased their income, had successful businesses and improved in their education.
Going forward, Nestlé Nigeria could provide more detail on how their past beneficiaries have developed. Including where they are now, how their training has impacted their career and if they have seen improvements in their economic situation due to the support they received.
This would provide a more detailed insight into what sustained investment from corporations can produce.
Ultimately, the value of empowering young people shouldn’t be measured by how many go through the scheme. But how they are able to utilise their skills.
For the young Nigerian looking for their first job, aspiring entrepreneur or student hoping to finish their education, opportunities should provide meaningful progression.
This is how Nestlé Nigeria’s initiatives should be measured.