Nestlé is supporting more than 850,000 vulnerable people in Central and West Africa as part of a USD 3.4 million effort to help countries in the region fight COVID-19. At a time when hunger is a growing concern the company is donating nutritious food and beverages to 170,000 families, corresponding to 850,000 people, across the region in Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameron, Gabon, Mali, Niger and Nigeria. Nestlé is also contributing masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep frontline health workers safe. The company is also donating medical equipment to hospitals in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal. Additionally, in Burkina Faso, it will donate three ventilators, for use in intensive care units.Efforts to reduce the transmission of the COVID-19 virus will be carried out in partnership with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Rémy Ejel, CEO of Nestlé Central and West Africa Ltd
“We’re offering our full support to families across Central and West Africa during these challenging times, and to those who are battling to keep them safe,” said Rémy Ejel, CEO of Nestlé Central and West Africa Ltd. “Nestlé has been present in Central & West Africa for more than 60 years. We live and operate in these communities across the region, so we are committed to help in any way that we can”. Mr Ejel said. Through its partnership with the IFRC, the company will contribute close to USD 420,000 to strengthen Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) activities in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal.
The donation to the IFRC, which is part of the total relief effort in the region, includes cash donations and supply of medical and other equipment. The two partners aim to limit the transmission of the virus by improving hygiene practices in public areas such as bus stations and in communities where WASH infrastructure is lacking. In addition, they will join forces to sensitize people about prevention measures and the importance of eating safe and nutritious foods.
Nestlé in Central and West Africa is committed to ensuring people continue to have access to safe, affordable and nutritious foods to feed their families in these uncertain times. Production has continued at Nestlé sites in the region, despite the challenges faced. Nestlé has implemented enhanced hygiene protocols and additional safety measures for the frontline staff working at its ten factories, its distribution centres and its sales offices. PPE has also been provided to suppliers, distributors and retailers, including MAGGI ‘Mammies’ and ‘Pappies’ working in open markets.
“We are doing all we can to ensure that our employees, contractors and partners remain healthy and safe. This is our number one priority” said Mr Ejel. “We are so grateful for their efforts and their determination to keep supplying our communities with food and beverages, despite the challenges.”
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
Efforts aimed at supporting 25,000 farmers and 50 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) across Central and West Africa received a boost with the Memorandum of Understanding entered into between Nestle and IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative, as part of the Grown Sustainably in Africa (GSA) programme. The three-year partnership aims to support 25,000 farmers and 50 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), as well as open-up new markets for them in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria, increasing employment and food security. The collaboration seeks to develop and empower these farmers and SMEs to help Nestlé meet its goal of boosting from 60% to more than 70% by 2022, its responsibly and regionally produced, high-quality raw materials used in the production of Maggi, Milo and Cerelac. By improving local agricultural produce, imports of food crops for local markets will be reduced.
Rémy Ejel, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nestlé Central and West Africa Ltd
“In line with Nestlé’s Creating Shared Value approach, our new partnership with IDH will increase the capacity of farmers to produce high quality crops that will enhance local supply and help develop local economies – this is all part of our commitment to improving 30 million livelihoods in communities directly connected to our business activities” said Rémy Ejel, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nestlé Central and West Africa Ltd.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the agricultural sector helps to support food security and eradicate hunger in the region, contributing about 15% of total Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, based on current trends, the food production system in Sub Saharan Africa will only meet 13% of its food demand by 2050. Low productivity means agricultural output in Central and West Africa is only 56% of the world average. Poor quality and high post-harvest losses impact on raw materials production, while a lack of knowledge, inadequate infrastructure and rising youth unemployment all affect sustainable supply.
The IDH-Nestlé partnership aims to address such challenges by encouraging farmers and SMEs to efficiently produce high quality and high-yield crops using best agricultural practices, and in turn, also help to reduce their environmental impact and the need for natural resources. Such efforts highlight the importance of this year’s Earth Day, which focuses on climate action. In 2019, the company announced a new ambition to achieve zero net GHG emissions by 2050, in line with the UN climate pledge. To guide its efforts, Nestlé identified several key actions: fight deforestation, reduce food loss and waste, and work with farmers to reduce GHG emissions, develop alternative packaging solutions, and help suppliers manage soils through regenerative agriculture and tree planting.
As part of the GSA programme, the partnership aims to address challenges faced by farmers and SMEs who lack access to affordable finance, technical and management capabilities. In line with Nestlé’s Responsible Sourcing Guidelines and IDH’s vision, the collaboration will enable farmers to become reliable suppliers for other companies beyond Nestlé, increase African trade, and create permanent employment and opportunities for youths and women across the region. For example, Nestlé has already trained over 150,000 farmers, of whom a third are women, providing them with financial stability and increased ability to produce high-quality and traceable crops.
“This partnership pairs IDH’s technical expertise in agriculture value chain development and innovative financing through the EUR 500 million IDH Farmfit Fund (https://bit.ly/2VMSyLv), with commitments from Nestlé’s supply chain. It will help to transform farmers and SMEs into long-term, sustainable operators and have a massive impact on building up the African economy, creating jobs and increasing food security,” said Joost Oorthuizen, Executive Director for IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative. This partnership supports Nestlé’s purpose of enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
“There should be equality for all – men and women – at all levels, and all ages” was the compelling call from Anna, one of our young female talents at Nestlé CWA Ltd, about gender equality.
Rémy Ejel
During our short conversation in the elevator a few weeks ago, I was struck by the composure, determination and focus of this bright graduate trainee when we talked about her current role – and her inspiring ambition to be a CEO herself in the future.
On this year’s International Women’s Day , her comment really made me think about what this year’s theme, #EachForEqual, actually means. As a senior leader, not only do I feel a responsibility to guide employees to aspire and empower themselves to become who they want to be, it is also about how collectively we can make ambitions like Anna’s a reality for all.
More African companies should step up gender equality initiatives
In Central and West Africa, an increasing number of companies, including Nestlé, have been making progress to boost gender balance. In Ghana, MTN opened a crèche at its new offices in Accra to provide childcare for employees’ children aged 5-15 months and breastfeeding facilities for mothers. Newmont Corporation is also aiming to change its male-dominated workplace by hiring and promoting employees, regardless of gender, and offering breastfeeding amenities on site. These are just a few examples of companies in the region taking concrete actions to make gender equality a reality in the workplace.
However, these are not enough and progress needs to be accelerated. At the current pace of change, the World Economic Forum predicts that it will take a staggering 99.5 years to attain gender parity. Therefore, all employers should double their efforts to achieve gender balance.
Providing equal opportunities for both men and women
I believe a conscious effort must be made by all organisations, public and private, to offer equal opportunities to both men and women. In Africa, this is challenging because young women, compared to young men, are less likely to be formally employed or go into education or training, according to The World Bank . Unequal access to education, early marriage rates among women and family responsibilities must be overcome swiftly to increase the number of women in the formal workforce. Nestlé, as the world’s largest food and beverage company, took action last year to make gender balance a priority and announced the Gender Acceleration Plan , which is based on three pillars: bold leadership, an empowering culture and a set of enabling practices.
In our region, for example, we are actively increasing the number of women in departments that traditionally hire men. At the Technical Training Centres in Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria, we are balancing out the intake of candidates in training programmes, which were predominantly male in the past. In fact, there has been nearly an 80% increase in admissions of women, and now there is almost an equal ratio of men to women in these training centres.
We have also recently appointed our first female factory manager, Joëlle Abega-Oyouomi, factory in Côte d’Ivoire that produces MAGGI bouillons. Before she took on this role, she headed Nestlé’s Research and Development Centre in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. In addition, we appointed the first female production manager for Nestlé CWA, Julia Atta, at the Tema factory in Ghana in 2018. These mark momentous milestones for our company in the region and challenge the ‘non-traditional’ line of work for women. These women are also remarkable role models for young African women aspiring to leadership positions.
As Anna and I discussed juggling family and work-life, she said that while she isn’t a mother yet, it is clear to her that pregnancy, childbirth and childcare falls heavily on women and could slow down career progression. Current maternity leave in Central and West Africa is better compared to many other countries in the world. However, are they sufficiently addressing the much-needed balance in child-rearing responsibilities?
Parental leave for both men and women helps to close the equality gap. It answers the desire of younger generations who increasingly want equal roles in parenting. Parental leave also has numerous benefits for business, the economy and society, as highlighted by Forbes . It helps transform the perception that caregiving is a female responsibility, it minimizes the ‘motherhood penalty’ in the workplace, and allows parents to invest time to ensure their child has the best start in life.
A trailblazing moment for Nestlé in the region will be the roll out of its gender-neutral parental support policy, which will be completed in 2021. Under this new policy, parental leave for primary caregivers – biological and adoptive – will be extended to 18 weeks fully paid leave and, for the first time, we will also offer a minimum of four weeks for secondary caregivers, like fathers, for whom the global minimum was previously one week. Equality starts at home and a company’s parental leave policy should be inclusive to enable employees thrive and achieve their career aspirations.
Lessening bias at work and at home
There are still a lot of preconceived ideas about men and women’s roles in African society. According to the African Development Bank Group , African women are held back from fulfilling their potential, whether as leaders in public life, in the boardroom or in growing their own businesses. They spend too much time carrying out household activities – tasks that can be shared by both genders. Such traditional barriers are fundamentally unfair and can restrict women achieving their full potential.
A mind-set change from ground level to the top is necessary – there should be equality at entry-level positions, as well as in positions of power, since leadership should be reflective of the change we want to see. To overcome biases, managers and employees at Nestlé receive diversity and inclusion training to instill a culture of inclusion and reduce bias in the workplace. Job advertisements are now gender neutral to minimize the perception that a specific role is directed at a particular sex. Employment must be solely based on qualifications, experience and merit, not gender.
Empowering equality to become a reality
Achieving gender balance and equality should be a top priority in our society. This is why supporting #EachForEqual and endorsing equality across the company is part of Nestlé’s commitment to enhance gender balance in our workforce and empower women across the entire value chain. We encourage other organisations and companies in Central and West Africa, and worldwide, to continue making progress in providing equal opportunities for both men and women, prioritising parental equality and lessening bias at home and at work.
Gender equality can be a reality and it is also up to all of us to instill this mentality and empower young talents like Anna. More women in the workplace makes business sense. It is good for companies, good for the economy and good for Africa. This is indisputable and we must continue to drive diversity for all.
Rémy Ejel, CEO of Nestlé Central and West Africa (CWA) Ltd.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry
