Date: 2016-12-07

Unilever Nigeria Plc. on Tuesday in Ilorin pledged its commitment to complementing the efforts of the University of Ilorin authorities at tutoring undergraduates on entrepreneurship skills.

Unilever's Leadership Development Specialist, Mr Ademola Odusanya, stated this when he paid a visit to the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali.

Odusanya said that its commitment would enable the students to acquire skills they would need for real-time work life through the Company's "U-Inspire Programme.

He said the company would remain committed to promoting the ideals of its founding fathers by ensuring that it empowered young people.

The specialist said the purpose of the visit was to inform the university authorities how Unilever had been contributing its quota to the success of the Nigerian vision.

While commending the university authorities, Odusanya said the company would "reach out to young minds, catching them young from school, imparting knowledge in them with the support of the school's management."

Responding, Ambali, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof Sidikat Ijaiya, described Unilever as a success story for having "remained afloat in spite of all the ups and downs".

The VC expressed appreciation to the company for embarking on the initiative, saying: "any organisation that invests in the development of the youth deserves commendation and we are most grateful to Unilever for bringing this to our campus."

Ambali bemoaned the unemployment challenge in the country, pointing out that employers of labour were no longer interested in certificates, but in the skills that graduates could bring to bear on their businesses.