Nestlé boss mulls partnership to drive sustainability

Nestlé boss mulls partnership to drive sustainability

Nestle

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Wassim Elhusseini has impressed on corporate Nigeria, especially the media, the need to forge a synergy of cooperation in order to build a more prosperous, sustainable society.

He made this clarion call penultimate Friday during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Cohort of Nestlé Advancing Nutrition, Health, And Environmental Awareness Through the Media Programme, held at the Lagos Business School, Sustainability Centre.

Justifying the need for the partnership across all sectors, Elhusseini emphasised that this becomes inevitable to build a healthier and resilient society.

Going down memory lane, the Nestlé boss recalled that over the past eight years, the collaboration with the media has evolved from a training initiative into a platform for exchange, reflection, and mutual growth.

“When we started this journey in 2018, our vision was clear: to work together with the media to promote informed public dialogue around the interconnected issues of nutrition, health, and the environment. Today, that vision is even more urgent —and more possible — because of the partnerships we’ve built with you, “he recalled.

Pressed further, he said, “Each year leaves us more inspired than the last — because of your feedback to us and your continued collaboration to create sustainable change at scale,” adding, “We recognise that as journalists and media professionals, you are not only communicators of fact, but you are also builders of public trust, interpreters of science, and enablers of action. We therefore value your collaboration deeply and appreciate you for bringing your expertise and critical thinking into the discussions we have had during this training.”

While enumerating five essential principles to guide future collaboration with the media partners, he stressed that overcoming issues like food insecurity, climate change, and preventable diseases requires united efforts across newsrooms, boardrooms, and disciplines.

“The challenges we face today — from food insecurity to climate change to preventable diseases — do not operate in silos. And neither can we. Our strength lies in our ability to collaborate across sectors, across disciplines, and yes, across the newsroom and the boardroom. We may bring different approaches to the table, but we share a common objective: building a healthier, more resilient society. We are not opposites, we are partners.”

He also pointed out the place of data led journalism in an era of information overload, urging media professionals to champion the course. “Understand it. Demand it. Use it,” he said, thus highlighting its power to illuminate complex issues like malnutrition or environmental degradation and guide meaningful public conversation.

“On context, he cautioned against misleading statistics, urging journalists to humanise data by linking it to lived experiences.  “A climate report becomes urgent when it reflects lived realities. Context gives data its humanity. “Nestlé Nigeria actively welcomes media scrutiny. We welcome scrutiny. We expect you to hold institutions like ours to high standards,” Elhusseini stressed.

“Stories have the power to democratise information and ensure that no one is left behind, and there is no one better placed to do this than you in this room today. So, as you return to your organisations, I hope you will carry forward the momentum of the last few days. Keep asking questions. Keep building networks. Keep connecting the dots between what we eat, how we live, and the environment we depend on.”

While emphasising Nestlé’s core principle of creating shared value, Elhusseini declared matter-of-factly, “Progress is shared or it isn’t progress at all. Our company’s business principle is grounded in the belief that business must contribute to societal well-being, Creating Shared Value. That’s why we invest in programmes like this one — not just as something that is nice to do, but because we believe real change only happens when knowledge is shared.”