Foreign News
‘Nestle West Africa Produces, Markets 25% of Global Fortified Foods’
The Chief Executive Officer of Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mr. Wassim El-Husseini, has disclosed that 25 percent of 16.2 billion global volume of fortified food portions is produced and marketed in Nestle West and Central Africa.
El-Husseini also disclosed that 80 per cent of raw materials utilised by Nestle Nigeria were sourced domestically, adding that the organisation is targeting to attain zero net emission by 2050.
According to him, the purpose of the company is to unlock the power of foods to enhance the quality of Nigerians’ lives.
“The first step in providing this is by providing nutritious food options and choices for Nigerians. We do that in Nigeria first through fortification.
I was astonished to learn that 25 per cent of the 16.2 billion global volume of fortified food portions is produced and marketed in Nestle West and Central Africa. I was really astonished.“The Central West Africa Region is so important for the Nestle group because we produce and consume 44 per cent of the global, which Nigeria is more than half of it. So, we are more than 25 per cent. That is something that we are really proud of,” he said.
El-Husseini also said that protecting the planet for future generations is among the top priorities of Nestle.
According to him, Nestle’s sustainability priority today is to collect from the environment what it produced before taking it to the next level.
“We do not want our plastic bottles to be thrown into the environment or gutters, rivers, or the sea. This is our commitment, and as of December 2021, 43 per cent of what we produce was already collected. We are aiming at 80 per cent this year and 100 per cent by next year. “
We want to make sure that we are not taking part in polluting the environment,” he said.
He stated that Nestle is relying on education and awareness to drive its sustainability project. “Our ambition is that none of our packagings ends up as litter or into the waterways or oceans. Nestle is also a founding member of the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA).
We will have our sorting facilities. It started as a very small association of five or six founding members and today we have crossed to 20. I am asking every company that is involved in plastic either for producing, recycling, or collecting, to join the FBRA to maximise the work we are trying to do in Nigeria,” Hussien said.
He noted that the quest to sustain a high source of local materials in its product is faced with a challenge arising from the reality that young Nigerians have aspirations for businesses other than farming.
“Over 80 per cent of our agricultural raw materials and packaging raw materials are sourced locally. Over 65,000 farmers have been trained so far on good farming practices and we are committed to attracting and empowering the next generation of farmers.
“However, it has its own challenges. Do people want to go into agriculture? It is one of the biggest challenges that we are facing. The younger generation aspires to go into different things. So, how do we make agriculture attractive to them? Secondly, if they want to, do they have the resources and the know-how to maximise them? And this is where our roles come in,” he said.
The CEO of Nestle Nigeria also enumerated some of the corporate social responsibility projects of the company, which included the provision of over 16 million liters of water in 2021 from 18 facilities to 14,000 individuals and families within the communities where its factories are sited.
Nestle, according to him, is also helping to develop thriving, resilient communities to enhance rural livelihood by empowering rural local women retailers in Nigeria within the company’s value chain to scale up their businesses.
He said that this project offered training, mentorship, and grants for these women. “Grants are in the form of products just to give you seed to stand up on your feet again and continue selling. But training includes bookkeeping, merchandising, and how to manage customer relationships. The program also included mentorship for three months to ensure the beneficiaries apply the learned practices to achieve the desired results. A total of 150 women are currently benefitting from this from North-central, South-east, and South-west,” he said.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is to travel to France for talks with his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu on Wednesday evening, following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
The talks are expected to focus on the consequences of Trump’s victory.
In particular for the future support for Ukraine, which has been fighting for more than two and a half years against Russia, as well as for European defence policy?
Washington has been a central provider of military support to Ukraine, which Trump has long criticized.
During his election campaign, Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine in a very short time and has held Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky jointly responsible for the war.
(dpa/NAN)
Congratulations for Donald Trump poured in early on Wednesday following his victory over challenger, Democrat’s Kamala Harris in the U.S. presidential polls.
“Ready to work together as we did for four years. With your convictions and mine, with respect and ambition.
“For more peace and prosperity, French President“, Emmanuel Macron, wrote on social media platform X.
“Congratulations to Donald Trump on his election victory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on the platform X.
“I appreciate President Trump’s commitment to the ‘peace through strength’ approach in global affairs,” he added.
“This is exactly the principle that can practically bring just peace in Ukraine closer.
I am hopeful that we will put it into action together,” Zelensky wrote.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also added his congratulations.
“For a long time, Germany and the U.S. have been working together successfully promoting prosperity and freedom on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We will continue to do so for the wellbeing of our citizens,” the chancellor wrote on X.
Earlier, Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone about the election outcome.
A German government spokesman said the two European leaders had agreed to coordinate closely with each other.
“We will work in this new context for a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe.
“In cooperation with the U.S. and defending our interests and values,’’ Macron wrote on X after the conversation.
The mood was ebullient out of Moscow, which has led a full-scale war against Ukraine for more than two and a half years, with no end in sight.
“Hallelujah, wrote Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, on her Telegram channel, noting that the election winner was the one who loved his own country.
Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who now sits on the Russian Security Council, said Trump has an important quality for Russia.
“As a businessman to the core, he cannot stand spending money on various minions and lackeys on idiotic allies, on stupid charity projects and on gluttonous international organisations.’’
He said it was a sad day for the scum in Kiev, in a post on Telegram.
Newly appointed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, whose alliance has a key role in the war on Ukraine, congratulated Trump on X.
“His leadership will again be key to keeping our Alliance strong,’’ Rutte added.
The conservative broadcaster Fox News had already declared Republican candidate Trump the overall winner against Democrat Kamala Harris, but other media networks and U.S. news agency AP had not done so.
Trump declared himself the winner in a speech to supporters in Florida.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz added his congratulations.
“For a long time, Germany and the U.S. have been working together successfully promoting prosperity and freedom on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We will continue to do so for the wellbeing of our citizens,” the chancellor wrote on X.
Earlier, Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone about the election outcome.
A German government spokesman said the two European leaders had agreed to coordinate closely with each other.
“We will work in this new context for a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe.
In cooperation with the U.S. and defending our interests and values,’’ Macron wrote on X after the conversation.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she looked forward to working with the presumptive 47th president of the U.S. on a strong trans-Atlantic agenda that delivers for their people.
Von der Leyen said the European Union and the United States “are more than just allies,” bound by a “shared history, commitment to freedom and democracy, and common goals of security and opportunity for all.”
“Millions of jobs and billions in trade and investment on each side of the Atlantic depend on the dynamism and stability of our economic relationship,” she added.
Outgoing European Council President Charles Michel, meanwhile, said the EU looked forward to cooperating constructively with the US, while “defending the rules-based multilateral system.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK-US special relationship would “continue to prosper” following Donald Trump’s “historic election victory,” the PA news agency reported.
Congratulations also came from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said the strategic connections between their two countries would now become even stronger.
“Good luck with your work, president!” the far-right prime minister added.
“Congratulations, Mr President … You made it happen!” Poland’s conservative nationalist president, Andrzej Duda, posted on X.
Dutch right-wing populist politician Geert Wilders, a declared Trump supporter who won the election in the Netherlands almost a year ago, joined in the chorus.
“Congratulations America! Never stop, always keep fighting and win elections!” Wilders wrote on X before the official result was announced.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was “history’s greatest comeback.”
“Your historic return to the White House offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his “friend” Donald Trump had won the presidential election after a “great struggle.”
China, meanwhile, was more cautious in its response. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the election was a domestic affair that Beijing would handle as usual once the results are officially announced. (dpa/NAN)
Leaders and monarchs across the Arab world praised Donald Trump on his election victory, amid uncertainty on how his presidency will impact the conflict in the Middle East.
“I wish him every success in achieving the interests of the American people,” said Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi.
He said that in view of “critical circumstances in the world,” cooperation between the U.
S. and Egypt, which along with Israel is among the largest recipients of U.S. military aid, was particularly important.Egypt is an important mediator in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, along with Qatar and the United States.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman described the U.
S. as a “key partner” for the Gulf emirate and the region.The largest U.S. military base in the Middle East is located in Qatar.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II sent Trump his “warmest congratulations” for the election victory.
He said he looked forward to renewed cooperation “in the service of regional and global peace.” Jordan is an important U.S. ally.
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid wrote on X: “I am hopeful that the new American administration will foster much-needed stability and constructive dialogue in the region.”
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdelaziz, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, also conveyed their congratulations. (dpa/NAN)
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