By Gbenga Olarinoye, Osogbo

In the spirit of giving back to the society, 25youths from across the South-West geopolitical zone of Nigeria, have been empowered with N50 million by the International Breweries PLC Foundation, Ilesha, as grants to commence various businesses and to be self employed.

Chairman, Board of Directors of the Company, Otunba Micheal Daramola, while distributing the cheques to the beneficiaries said the step was part of the company’s corporate and social responsibility towards reducing youth unemployment in the society.

Shedding more light on the project tagged “Kick Start”, Otunba Daramola stated that the project started in Ibadan on the 5th of August, 2015, when 120 lucky applicants were selected from a poll of over 3,000 entries, who were screened and trained properly on the requirement of the project, chosen and tutored on how to be an entrepreneur.

The management of the company said the selection process was rigorous, and that in order to deliver on the promise of International Breweries Foundation to the teeming Nigerian youths for them to realise their career dreams and further reduce undergraduate unemployment, the organizers had to create “a boot camp look and feel” where the 120 applicants were housed and drilled.

He said the company was interested in reducing the rate of unemployment, urging other private companies in the country to follow suit as a means of helping government.

Otunba Daramola assured that the money granted the beneficiaries would be adequately monitored to ensure they expend it judiciously for their various business.

Also speaking at the occasion,Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mr Andrew Ross, said youth employment was growing in uncontrollable proportion which, according to him, was having negative effect on the economy.

The State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, represented at the occasion by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, said the company’s gesture was in line with the policies of the state government.