Switzerland and
Nigeria will formally conclude a migration partnership in less than two
weeks, Andreas Baum, the ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, has said.
Mr. Baum, at the
inauguration of a new factory by Nestle Nigeria in Ogun State on
Thursday, said the partnership will be concluded during the planned
visit of Odein Ajumogobia, the foreign affairs minister, to Berne on
February 14.
“The memorandum of
understanding on a migration partnership has a pioneering character
which will bring cooperation between Switzerland and Nigeria to a new
level. The partnership, which is designed to acknowledge both the
opportunities and challenges of migration, is the first of such
agreement between Switzerland and an African country,” he said.
“It became clear
that both Nigerian and Swiss partners were aware that capacity building
– including in the field of training and education – should be an area
of joint cooperation,” the envoy further said.
Mr. Baum said the
Swiss Embassy looked into private initiatives and training projects by
business operators and found Nestle’s Nigeria Technical Training Centre
in the Agbara factory an excellent opportunity to build upon because it
targets at developing young people and contributing towards the growth
of Science and technology in Nigeria.
“I am, therefore,
happy to make a formal announcement that Switzerland has decided to
establish a scholarship for five students annually at the new Nestle’s
Nigeria Technical Training Centre,” Mr. Baum said, adding that the
scholarship will provide vocational training in the field of
Electo-Mechanical-Automation Engineering.
“The sponsorship is
one of the key outcomes of the exploratory talks the Embassy initiated
with Swiss companies operating in Nigeria,” he said.
Furthermore, the
five best students from each promotion will have the opportunity to
participate in an additional training module of several months in
Switzerland, in the framework of training programmes of Nestle’s
headquarters.
Meanwhile, at the
inauguration of the new factory, which was also attended by Namadi
Sambo, the nation’s vice president and Gbenga Daniel, Ogun State
governor, the chief executive officer of Nestle South Africa, Paul
Bulcke, reiterated the company’s continuous contribution to Nigeria.
“Nestle has been
operationally present in Nigeria for 50 years, bringing meaningful
value to society at large. This latest investment is proof of our
commitment to Africa,” Mr. Bulcke said.
With an investment of N12 billion, the new factory, Flowergate, is
Nestle’s 27th in Africa and is key to its growth in Nigeria. Nestle’s
activities in the country is worth about N59 billion, with over 3,000
employees.
