Nestlé Nigeria Renews Youth Entrepreneurship Partnership

Nestlé Nigeria is reinforcing its commitment to cultivating an environment where young Nigerians can transform their innovative ideas into successful businesses. This renewed focus comes through its enduring eight-year partnership with Activate Success International Foundation (ASIF).

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It is a great pleasure to be a part of the YEEP 2026 Summit, a platform that is dedicated to empowering the young people to transform their ideas into opportunities and their talents into enterprise. Your ideas are only ideas until you bring them to life.

Victoria Uwadoka, Nestlé Nigeria's Head of Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainability, highlighted the significance of platforms like the National Youth Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Summit (YEEP 2026) in a nation where over 70% of the population is young. She emphasized that entrepreneurship involves spotting opportunities and creating value, while innovation encourages novel thinking. Uwadoka also noted that courage is essential for navigating uncertainty, and true impact is defined by lasting success.

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This year’s theme is very, very important. It’s speaking about entrepreneurship. It’s speaking about innovation. It’s speaking about courage. And it’s speaking about impact. And I don’t know any other example that will be more beautiful than the idea that has brought us together here today.

"Your ideas are only ideas until you bring them to life," Uwadoka told summit attendees. She stressed that "Money, support, finances flow to solutions." She encouraged young entrepreneurs to be prepared to work, learn, and improve, assuring them of corporate leaders' and partners' readiness to provide support. Nestlé Nigeria reiterated its responsibility to foster enabling environments for entrepreneurship to thrive for current and future generations.

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Money, support, finances flow to solutions. If you have an idea today that meets needs and that improves lives, that is an idea that is worth investing in.

Uwadoka acknowledged ASIF's 11 years of consistent work in youth empowerment and nine years of hosting the YEEP conference. She also recognized partners like Flutterwave, government bodies, and industry leaders for their contributions to realizing young people's dreams. The summit's theme, "Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Courage and Impact," was deemed timely and relevant to the aspirations of Nigeria's youth.

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As corporate leaders, we want to reiterate our responsibility to create enabling environments where entrepreneurship can continue to flourish, not just for this generation, but for generations to come.