By Moses Nosike

The global Chief Executive Officer, Unilever Nigeria Plc., Paul Polman in a recently business forum organised by the company and Lagos Business School (LBS) in Lagos, advised business owners, young entrepreneurs and business leaders on how to build sustainable businesses with profit even as they embark on Sustainable Development Goals.

Polman

His eloquent speech has become one of its kind in the history of the Nigerian business sector.

Speaking to Business owners, young entrepreneurs and business leaders at the forum, Polman who has been at the centre for advocacy in building widespread support for the SDGs globally, stressed extensively how profitable and sustainable businesses are built in volatile times, and before long the social media became saturated with highlights from his impressive speech, as participants were quick to share practical quotes from the successful business leader on their various platforms.

Building a logical background, Polman identified three global trends creating volatility with accelerating change as globalization, digitization and the era of abundance resulting from climate change, even as he expressed confidence that sustainable and profitable businesses can be built in the midst of volatility.

One of his practical lessons at the forum is the appealing hope for poverty alleviation if countries of the world could willingly throw their weight behind the Sustainable Development Goals.

“In September, 2015, 193 countries came together at the United Nations and signed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); these are the continuation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and we have to finish what we started with MDG because half of the people are still in poverty,” he said.

“We now have more opportunity to irreversibly eradicate poverty in a more sustainable way in the next 15 years and that is what the sustainable development agenda is all about. It is about people, planet, peace, partnership, prosperity and common good. It is the only moral framework in my opinion that we now have in a world where global governance is difficult. The countries of this world including Nigeria rose to the challenge and signed the SDGs along with other 193 countries” he added.

“Again, is the need for businesses to leverage the sustainable development goals as a platform on which they deliver commitments. My argument is that we are in this together and we have the joint responsibility to put the common good of the people above our own interests. To me sustainability means putting others first.

“We have to rise to the challenge to put the interests of others above our own and by doing so, we would be better off. It is very important that businesses get involved in the SDGs, because business is 60% of the GDP, 80% of the financial flow and 90% of the job creation. It will be ludicrous to think that government alone can handle this agenda,” he said.

According to Polman, there is no business case for poverty and any business that does not contribute to the development of the society, blocks its own progress by doing so.

“The ultimate purpose of business is to serve the society. If businesses forget their purpose and become myopic for their interest and the shareholders, they probably would not have a long life and the reason for that is very simple, the society cannot support a business that doesn’t contribute to the society,” he maintained.

In the case of Unilever which successfully built and maintained sustainability over the years, Polman said, “At Unilever, we have determined to be a company that positively contribute to the society if we want to exist long time. We have been around for over a 100 of years and we are going to be around for a hundred of more years, but only if we make a positive contribution to the society. CSR is fine but it only brings you so far.” At Unilever, we have set our business models called ‘Unilever Sustenance Living Plan”.

“Since we started that, not surprisingly, we have seen our business do better, because we are becoming more relevant, people feel more motivated by doing more relevant work. We are attracting the right investors who want to invest in relevant long-term businesses. Many of the countries that we operated in have seen us as either the most responsible or the most desired.

“While recognizing that our part of the world has more human talent than anywhere else. My simple plea to you is, whatever position that you are in the world – academics, business, education, put yourself to the service of others. Remember that the more you give; the more you prosper. If you seek prosperity just to enhance yourself, you miss purpose, but if you seek prosperity just to help others, you are fulfilling purpose”.

Although Polman’s speech may have lasted a while, the practical lessons provided will certainly create a lasting impression on everyone in attendance, helping established and emerging businesses to grow profitably and sustainably even in volatile times.