Kehinde Ibrahim Lagos
GUINNESS Nigeria Plc, Nigeria’s leading total beverage company, has empowered another 100 women with trade assets and key business operation skills in Benin Edo state, as part of its ongoing Plan W-empowerment programme across the country, to further drive home its commitment to Nigeria’s socio-economic development through women empowerment.
Plan-W is one of Guinness Nigeria’s Skills programme under their Diversity and Inclusion strategy which aims to provide economic empowerment in form of trade assets and relevant training in entrepreneurial and business operations skills to women within communities where they source, sell, and operate. Since its inception a few years ago, the Plan W programme has been carried out in Kaduna, Enugu, Aba, Owerri, Osogbo and very recently in Benin Edo State.
At the trade assets presentation to the beneficiaries in Benin, Guinness Nigeria Plc. Corporate Relations Director, Rotimi Odusola, said the empowerment programme is part of the company’s commitment to continually grow and empower the underrepresented as part of the company’s diversity and inclusion strategy.
“Women empowerment is a significant contributor to economic development and progress because women are essential to any society’s survival. We want to alleviate socio-economic hardship by equipping women with business and life skills that will help them improve their livelihood and contribute positively to society’s overall growth. We believe that through this project, we will be able to boost women who have limited financial prospects, reduce unemployment, increase household incomes, and improve the overall quality of life”, Odusola noted.
According to Odusola, over 600 individuals have benefited from the Plan W-empowerment programme thus far.
Mrs. Barbara Nekpen Osobajo, the Permanent Secretary in the Edo State Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues, praised Guinness Nigeria’s efforts and encouraged the recipients to rigorously use the trade assets to build their enterprises and contribute considerably to the state’s GDP.
“This project is a positive step forward, and we hope that more organizations would follow Guinness Nigeria’s example in empowering our women so that they can become self-sufficient. I want to express my gratitude to Guinness Nigeria for this heartfelt effort, and we look forward to working with the team again soon,” Osobajo added.
Mr. Francis Ebizugbe, a Community Leader in Oreoghene Council, expressed gratitude for Guinness’ support and pledged that the recipients would work diligently to build their businesses utilizing the materials donated.
The Edo North Senatorial Women Leader, Mrs. Dame Omoua Oni-Okpaku explained that the positive impact of the empowerment programme will soon be felt in the state. “We are pleased that Guinness Nigeria is making this deliberate effort to give back to women in Edo State who have limited financial options. We are optimistic about the beneficial influence this programme would have on Edo women’s daily life”, Oni-Okpaku said. Beneficiaries at the event were drawn from councils and wards in Benin, Auchi, Oreoghene, and Akoko-Edo.
Guinness Nigeria continues to deliver on its sustainability and responsibility commitments which are focused on three areas; Promoting Positive Drinking, Diversity & Inclusion and Grain to Glass sustainability.
