In line with its commitment to continuous positive social impact on livelihoods, Unilever Nigeria has empowered over 13,000 women across 21 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) through its Shakti initiative.
The Unilever Nigeria Shakti initiative is implemented in partnership with the Growing Businesses Foundation (GBF).
It aims to provide beneficiary women with the tools, training, and mentorship needed to become independent entrepreneurs, contributing to both their personal economic improvements, family, and their communities by selling Unilever products.
Speaking on the impact of the Shakti initiative, The Customer Development Director, Unilever Nigeria, Tobi Adeniyi, said, “Since inception of the Shakti initiative in 2014, we have seen significant improvements in the lives of the women. Some of them started with product support in the value of N20,000 and over the years have grown it to double digits of hundreds of thousands and some in millions.”
“This is a testament to power of purpose and believe in women to do great things socioeconomically to make positive impact in their homes and the society as a whole. Unilever Nigeria is proud of this initiative and remains committed to expanding the Shakti initiative to reach more women in thousands year on year,” Adeniyi said.
Spotlight of Alhaja Gbemisola Sherifat Ogunremi from Ibadan, Oyo State
One of the success stories of the Shakti initiative is Alhaja Gbemisola Sherifat Ogunremi from Ibadan, Oyo State. A former hairdresser who joined the Shakti initiative with ₦20,000 worth of Unilever products. With the training she received, she learned how to manage her sales, keep records, and plough back her profits into the business. Ogunremi, who started as a petty trader, has now grown into a thriving retailer in her community.
According to her, “Shakti has made my dream come true, I have been able to support my family, and my husband is proud of me. Supporting my family has been seamless because expenses are made from my profit, and it does not affect my business.”
Through her participation in the Shakti initiative, Ogunremi was able to save money and, with the support of her husband, was able to fulfil a lifelong dream of going on a hajj pilgrimage. Besides this development, she has started to empower other women by involving them in a thrift system that helps them purchase Unilever products and start their own small businesses.
Her journey is a testament to the power of focus and perseverance. Advising other Shakti women to devote themselves to the business, and remain focused to keep improving their livelihoods through the initiative, she said, “If I had not taken the opportunity to join Shakti and continued till today, I wouldn’t be here.”
While Ogunremi’s future goal is to expand her business and become a sub-distributor for Unilever Nigeria, the success of the Shakti initiative wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated field agents and mentors who work tirelessly to ensure the progress of beneficiaries like her. One of such agent is Aminat Bakare, who currently manages 100 Shakti women. She is responsible for handholding, coaching, and building the capabilities of these women, guiding them on how to record sales, place orders, and display their products effectively.
Bakare’s commitment to her role is evident in her passion for seeing the women succeed. She has taught them to be customer-centric and loyal to both the brand and their customers. Her desire is for all the women under her supervision to grow into renowned distributors within the Unilever ecosystem.
Unilever Nigeria remains committed to the socioeconomic development of Nigeria, through initiatives like Shakti focused on women empowerment and Future X Campus Ambassadors Programe (FUCAP) focused on equipping young people across higher institutions with future of work skills in partnership with UNICEF Generation Unlimited (GenU).
Unilever Nigeria is also committed to making the environment safer and healthier through plastic initiative in partnership with Wecyclers, with a commitment to take out more plastic from the environment than what it puts into it. As the longest-serving manufacturing company in Nigeria that has stayed over a hundred years in the country, Unilever Nigeria remains committed to staying in Nigeria and contributing to the socioeconomic development of the country through its brands and operations