Health
More Women in Workplace Boosts Performance—Nestle
By Dipo Olowookere
World’s largest food and beverage company, Nestlé, has launched an ambitious Gender Balance Acceleration Plan called From Aspiration to Action as part of its activities to highlight International Women’s Day 2019.
The firm says it believes that a gender balanced workforce makes business sense as it helps to boost innovation and performance, which as a result, better serves the needs of its consumers.
Nestlé’s Global CEO Mark Schneider announced the company’s acceleration plan to make gender balance a priority, based on three pillars: bold leadership, an empowering culture and a set of enabling practices.
In the Central and West Africa Region (CWAR), Nestlé aims to bring the Gender Balance Acceleration Plan to life through its multi-pronged initiatives, such as trainings to raise awareness on gender biases, career development and mentoring programmes for women, gender-sensitive succession planning, offering breastfeeding rooms and nurseries at work, as well as the implementation of its Maternity Protection Policy.
Driving innovation
At Nestlé CWAR, increasing the number of women in the workforce and boosting gender balance is helping to drive innovation.
Bunmi Etty-Mfon, Total Performance Management Manager for Technical at Nestlé CWAR, who has led factory efficiency for over eight years to deliver safe, quality products in Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire, has encouraged and experienced this herself.
“When there’s a good mixture of men and women, team-building activities tend to be more balanced, helping to develop greater empathy among individuals and teams. Diversity stimulates greater effort from everyone, leading to improved decision-making.
“Also, as the majority of consumers in our region are women, it gives us great perspective to lead in innovation,” she said.
Rahamatou Palm, Category Manager for our Nescafé business in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo and Benin – and a member of the Cluster Management Committee of which half are women – agrees that diversity is key for the company’s growth.
“Gender balance is important to complement the thinking between men and women, leading to more productive debates and innovative decisions. It also fights against discrimination to ensure a better, and more dynamic workplace,” she emphasised.
Improving the company’s performance
Nestlé CWAR is also actively enhancing the company’s performance by increasing the number of women in departments that traditionally hire men.
To close the current gender gap, the Technical and Supply Chain Management departments are looking to recruit a majority of women as graduate trainees, and include at least one female candidate in the final interview stage. Efforts are also being made to increase the number of women working in factories across the region.
Ibukun Ipinmoye, Factory Manager of the Flowergate Factory, which includes the first 100% female production line in Nestlé Nigeria, has noted an increase in productivity.
“We soon realised that the female production lines are very productive thanks to their highly committed and collaborative spirit and their careful handling of the equipment. Gender diversity has helped to boost productivity,” he said.
“As a result, we plan to introduce female operators to more complex lines to utilise their multitasking skills, and aim to hire female management trainees to 80%.”
Gbenga Oladunjoye, Factory Manager for Nestlé Ghana, has also seen improved performance in his team.
“My team is more productive, with readily available good talent and a wide diversity of ideas. Women have helped to ignite creativity, offered various perspectives and improved our business,” he said.
Gbenga, who oversees the Tema facility and is part of the Country Management team, added: “They mostly make the decisions to buy products for their families so having women at Nestlé makes business sense.”
Overcoming biases
However, creating gender balance on the factory floors or in offices does not come without some obstacles. Pressure to conform to gender stereotypes, resistance from men, adapting work patterns to family life and maternity commitments, and the shortage of females in certain fields like engineering, are just some of the gender balance challenges that working women face.
Julia Atta, Production Manager for Milks in Nestlé Ghana, was appointed as the first female production manager for Nestlé CWAR last year – marking a milestone for the company in the region.
She explained that she went into this ‘non-traditional’ line of work for women to change mind-sets and make an impact. But this came with its challenges.
“For any women in a male-dominated environment, even a genuine reason can become a woman’s excuse. For example, I felt I had to turn down an opportunity to go into production because I got pregnant, even though factory management made me an offer. At the time, I was unsure it was the right decision to join, as production was not seen as an ideal environment for my ‘condition’,” Julia said.
“Thanks to the support of management, I had another opportunity to take up a role outside of the country for five months. However, others made me feel like I had made the wrong decision to leave my young child behind – but I was determined to make it work.”
Today, Julia heads the milk production and technical team, leading the production, quality, safety, cost and delivery of 130 tonnes of evaporated milk a day, while also developing her team of junior and senior employees.
Women leaders inspiring other women
Creating a solid pipeline of female talent across all levels enables more women to climb up the career ladder to top positions, which has a ripple effect of encouraging other women to achieve their goals.
“Being a career woman is never a burden or added responsibility, but a platform to inspire and motivate the people you are lucky enough to impact,” Julia continued.
“When a woman is appointed in a leadership role, some people believe this is because of a gender balance strategy and not based on merit. It must be based on non-discrimination, equal opportunities, competence and providing the right support for both men and women in the workplace. This is how we will be genuinely able to highlight and remove the roadblocks to career advancement at work,” she added.
Gbenga Oladunjoye, Factory Manager at the Tema facility in Nestlé Ghana, emphasised that women at Nestlé inspire other women to follow suit, and said: “They enhance inclusiveness, advance opportunities and give hope to women worldwide that they can achieve the same too.”
Building a strong pipeline of talent is key to gender balance
Embracing diversity and increasing the number of women in leadership roles and in the workforce all make business sense at Nestlé CWAR – and for the company worldwide. This is part of its commitment to enhance gender balance in its workforce and empower women across the entire value chain.
But this just doesn’t stop here. To help achieve this across the board, organisations need to build a solid and balanced pipeline of talent and invest in women’s education and training to create and instil diversity at all levels, and in all functions.
“We recognise that gender balance, women’s rights, education for women and women’s empowerment are critical to Creating Shared Value– our approach to how we do business in creating value for both our shareholders and for society,” said Rémy Ejel, Market Head for Nestlé CWA Ltd.
“It is also key to contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls – and we encourage other companies to also make gender balance a priority,” Mr Ejel concluded.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria has launched a €4.2 million programme supported by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to strengthen the country’s capacity to detect and respond to disease outbreaks.
The initiative, known as the EU Support to Public Health Institutes in Nigeria (EU SPIN), will be carried out over four years in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
It is aimed at improving the performance of selected public health institutions through better coordination, faster information sharing and enhanced workforce capacity.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Mr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, described the programme as a significant step towards strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system.
“This initiative is designed to strengthen our health institutions, and it is truly a welcome development. It will improve the well-being of Nigerians, especially our vulnerable populations,” he said, noting that it aligns with the federal government’s broader health reform agenda.
Nigeria continues to face a dual health burden, with recurring infectious disease outbreaks alongside a growing prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
According to the WHO, non-communicable diseases now account for 27 per cent of deaths in the country, while malaria alone contributes about 30 per cent of global malaria fatalities.
Recurrent outbreaks of cholera, diphtheria, Lassa fever, meningitis and Mpox also remain a major public health concern.
The EU SPIN programme is expected to address systemic gaps that slow outbreak response by strengthening collaboration among public health institutions and clarifying roles across federal, state and local levels.
It will also support real-time data systems to enable quicker and more informed decision-making during health emergencies.
A key component of the initiative is workforce development, with plans to train up to 75 per cent of public health staff in leadership, prevention and response strategies, as well as digital skills.
The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Gautier Mignon, said the programme reflects a shared commitment to building resilient health systems.
“Through EU SPIN, the European Union is investing in strong, digitally enabled public health institutions in Nigeria. This partnership underscores our commitment to health security and sustainable systems strengthening,” he said.
Also speaking, the WHO Representative in Nigeria, Mr Pavel Ursu, noted that improved coordination and digital tools would enhance the country’s ability to protect lives.
“By improving coordination, skills and digital tools, the project will help protect lives and keep communities healthier,” he said.
Officials said the programme would ultimately strengthen links between public health systems and primary healthcare services, ensuring that communities benefit from faster and more effective responses to health threats.
By 2028, the initiative is expected to deliver more efficient inter-agency coordination, clearer institutional responsibilities and more reliable public health data nationwide, with progress tracked through national monitoring systems and periodic reviews involving government and development partners.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
To achieve a malaria-free Nigeria, a leading Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) with a robust nationwide presence, SUNU Health Nigeria Limited, has called for a wider adoption of HMO packages for citizens.
It stressed that managed care provides a critical safety net, ensuring families can access quality preventive services without the burden of immediate, high costs, adding that this structured approach transforms healthcare from an unpredictable expense into a manageable, guaranteed service.
The company, which officially unveiled a comprehensive strategic roadmap aimed at drastically cutting down on malaria-related deaths, emphasised that the disease can be eradicated if citizens and stakeholders adopt consistent preventive measures.
“Eradication is within our reach if we synchronise our efforts,” the chief operating officer of SUNU Health, Dr Faith Nwachi, said, noting that the tools for victory range from environmental hygiene to the consistent use of treated nets, which are easily accessible to every Nigerian.
The organisation noted that it came up with the latest framework to significantly reduce the disease burden that has historically hindered Nigeria’s productivity and public health stability.
The urgency of this intervention is underscored by concerning data from late 2025, which revealed a sharp upward trend in cases, it stated.
With over 24.5 million confirmed cases reported in the first nine months of last year alone, the 2026 landscape demands aggressive action. Currently, malaria remains a leading cause of mortality, responsible for approximately 30 per cent of child deaths and 11 per cent of maternal deaths annually.
A central pillar of the roadmap is a focus on preventative care. As of early 2026, according to the World Health Organisation, malaria still accounts for nearly 30 per cent of all hospital admissions in Nigeria.
By addressing the root causes and transmission cycles, SUNU Health seeks to drastically lower these statistics, ensuring Nigerians can lead more active lives without the constant threat of infection.
Dr Nwachi further underscored the economic necessity of this shift, stating that “prevention is significantly cheaper than cure.”
The financial toll on the Nigerian economy is staggering, with billions of Naira lost annually to treatments and diminished man-hours. For the average family, frequent bouts of illness lead to catastrophic out-of-pocket expenses that undermine financial security.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Plans are underway by the Alternative Bank (AltBank) to present a policy brief to relevant government ministries, recommending vocational pathways, autism care financing options, and a 12-month Lagos pilot across selected schools and primary healthcare centres.
The recommendations are from the inaugural Autism Stakeholders Roundtable and Policy Dialogue in Lagos, organised by the lender in partnership with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN), Eliakim Foundation, and Sterling One Foundation under the theme, It is How You Show Up.
The programme served as a critical platform to address the country’s fragmented autism support systems, with leading healthcare professionals, policymakers, and autism advocates in attendance, praising the financial institution’s decisive shift toward early intervention, systemic inclusion, and comprehensive capacity building for parents and caregivers.
The president of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria (MWAN) Lagos State Branch, Dr Ime Okon, stressed her group’s alignment with the bank’s initiatives.
“We recognise caregivers and families as central to the success of any intervention. We are showing up, holding their hands, to ensure they are never left to navigate this journey alone.
“For a physician, showing up means ensuring that a parent’s first concern is met with a strengthened, inclusive system rather than a clinical dead-end with no solution. The Alternative Bank has signalled a shift toward a high-level platform for national action,” she stated.
Validating this urgent need for systemic early response, the keynote speaker and founder of the Patrick Speech and Languages Centre (PSLC), Mrs Dotun Akande, advocated the integration of universal developmental screening into primary healthcare, stressing that Nigeria must transition from relying on parallel private centres to building a coordinated national response.
“What Nigeria must now build is a system where intervention happens early, equitably, and at scale, without depending on chance, geography, or privilege,” Mrs Akande noted, outlining the necessity of a caregiver support scheme that addresses both the financial and social needs of families navigating autism.
Answering this call to action, the Executive Director of Commercial and Institutional Banking (Lagos and Southwest) at The Alternative Bank, Mrs Korede Demola-Adeniyi, unveiled the financial institution’s concrete commitments to parent and professional training.
Noting that showing up in Nigeria has “too often meant showing up late,” she announced a robust three-pillar intervention agenda focusing on inclusive education, targeted training for caregivers and health professionals, and behavioural change advocacy.
As an immediate first step, Mrs Demola-Adeniyi announced the launch of a specialised capacity-building programme on Receptive Language Disorder, executed in collaboration with Eliakim Global Resources, which commenced on Sunday, April 26, 2026.
“Early recognition and sustained support depend on a workforce and caregivers who know what to look for, and what to do next,” she explained, emphasising that receptive language is a consequential developmental marker that is frequently missed.
The roundtable fostered dynamic discussions on practically designing and sustainably funding high-impact support programmes.
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