Stakeholders applaud Unilever Nigeria’s launch of Heroes for Change

L-R:-, Founder, Slum2School, Otto Orondaam; Marketing Manager, Savoury, Unilever Nigeria, Nnenna Osi-Anugwa; President, Unilever Africa, Bruno Witvoet; Heroes For Change Champion, Ugochi Ilomuanya; Executive Vice-President, Unilever, Ghana & Nigeria, Yaw Nsarkoh and Marketing Director Foods, Unilever Nigeria, Nsima Ogedi-Alakwe at the launch of the Unilever Heroes For Change initiative in Lagos.

… Inspire youths to make a difference

Stakeholders at the launch of Heroes for Change initiative, by Unilever Nigeria Plc. have commended the organisation for creating such a unique platform for Nigerian youths to contribute their quota to community development.

Heroes for Change is a social mission volunteer programme anchored on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP). The programme recruits, teaches and empowers university undergraduates and National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) members to contribute to society by volunteering their time to teach in Unilever social mission programmes with focus on Health and Well-being in their communities.

L-R: Heroes For Change Champion, Ugochi Ilomuanya; Founder, Slum2School, Otto Orondaam; President, Unilever Africa, Bruno Witvoet; Chairman, First Bank Nigeria Plc, Ibukun Awosika; Marketing Director Foods, Unilever Nigeria, Nsima Ogedi-Alakwe; Nigerian Writer, OluTimehin Adegbeye and Executive Vice-President, Unilever, Ghana & Nigeria, Yaw Nsarkoh at the launch of the Unilever Heroes For Change initiative in Lagos.

Speaking at the launch, Chairman of First Bank Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika, commended Unilever for the Heroes for Change initiative and charged the youth to use the platform to rise to make a difference in their communities and beyond. “The success of project Nigeria is one that should concern everyone, particularly the youths  who make up a sizeable portion of our population and are the most active, creative and passionate. The Nigeria of your dream is only possible when you defy the odds and take a step to making a change with your talent, efforts, passion and energy,” she said.

Also, speaking at the launch, The Executive Vice President, Unilever Ghana - Nigeria, Yaw Nsarkoh, said, “the Heroes for Change initiative is one of the ways we demonstrate our simple objective of making sustainable living commonplace. Through this initiative our volunteers will go into the communities and teach them about our social mission programme on health and well-being using the Knorr Force for Good program that educates mothers and teenage daughters on nutritious cooking behaviours to reduce the prevalence of iron deficiency anaemia in Nigeria, a major public health issue.  Taking one step at a time and by partnering with our volunteers, our aim is to reach about 1 million Nigerians by 2020.”

Corroborating Nsarkoh, President, Unilever Africa, Bruno Witvoet, said, “through our brands social mission programmes we are committed to creating a better future for all. The Heroes for Change initiative is a platform that enables us partner with the youths to impact our communities positively. Youths are everyday change makers known to be very passionate and enthusiastic. Working with them, together we will our achieve objective of creating a socially conscious society and showcase how we all have a role in making a difference to the society we live in.” 

While charging the youths to see themselves as change agents riding on the Heroes for Change platform, the Marketing Director, Foods, Unilever, Ghana – Nigeria, Ogedi-Alakwe Nsima said that their partnership with Unilever, will stir their consciousness to the role they need to play toward building the Nigeria of our dream. “Initiatives like this helps us to understand that we are all a part of the puzzle called Nigeria and it requires our collective efforts and solutions to achieve the desired growth and development. Using the Knorr Force for Good program our volunteers will reach teenage girls and their mothers (Age Bracket 15-45), teaching them on the need to eat greens to prevent iron deficiency anaemia.” She said.

The event was attended by the Special Assistant to the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Education, Ms Banke Alawaye, Nollywood actress and Knorr Force for Good Ambassador, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Founder of Slum2School, Otto Orondaam, as well as top management of Unilever Nigeria Plc.