GHANA – Food giant Nestlé and the University of Ghana have renewed their collaboration which aims to strengthen local student scientific expertise and build competencies in the fields of innovation, research and development with a particular focus on food security.
The partnership was first forged in 2019 under a two-year renewable agreement aimed at enhancing scientific research and student practical study in relation to the food and nutrition value chain.
It offers students practical learning opportunities to enhance their skills and support mutually agreed initiatives including scientific research collaborations that responds to the needs of consumers and industry.
This time round Nestlé has expanded the scope of the collaboration a notch higher to involve a number of academic units of the University including the Schools of Biological Sciences, Agriculture, Engineering Sciences, University of Ghana Business School, Careers and Counselling Centre and the Office of Students with Special Needs.
The University of Ghana cherishes opportunities such as this which seek to bridge the gap between industry and academia and aligns with the University’s goal of producing the next generation of thought leaders to drive national and global development.
Tesfalidet Haile, Head of Nestlé Research and Development (R&D) Sub-Saharan Africa highlighted that the agreement will continue to open the doors of Nestlé’s global R&D network to students and staff of the University to strengthen their knowledge and build competency in their various fields.
Students and academic staff from various technical departments of the University of Ghana will continue to have access to Nestlé’s strong expertise in science and technology located at the regional innovation centres in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, its global R&D centres as well as learning opportunities within Nestlé Ghana.
The strong partnership is in line with Nestlé’s ambition to help 10 million young people worldwide access economic opportunities by 2030 as part of the global “Nestlé needs YOUth” initiative.
KFC empowers African youths through basketball
Meanwhile, fast food chain, KFC Africa, has partnered with global basketball legend Serge Ibaka of the Milwaukee Bucks to empower youths in the region through the sport.
This follows KFC Africa’s announcement about its partnership with NBA Africa in May to grow grass-roots basketball.
“For us it’s about developing our home continent’s youth – giving them the facilities and safe spaces to use their talents and grow their skills.
“It is for this reason that we are refurbishing and building basketball courts within communities in key markets,” says Emmanuel Kasambala, KFC Marketing Director, Rest of Sub-Saharan Africa.
The first of these basketball courts was recently built and donated in Kenya, as a result of a partnership between KFC and the Jonathan Jackson Foundation (JJF).
With regards to the courts initiative specifically, ambitious plans are underway for another 11 courts in Kenya in coming months, as well as additional projects in other markets including Botswana, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania.
“We are also extremely excited about our epic collab with Serge Ibaka – an African basketball legend – to further highlight the strength and potential of the game.
“It goes without saying that Serge is a true inspiration to our youth, and by joining forces, we accelerate growth and development for the stars of the future,” said Emmanuel
Born in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, Serge is a three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection and has twice led the league in blocks. In 2019, he won his first NBA championship as a key member of the Toronto Raptors.
In addition to these impressive basketball credentials, Serge is also personally invested in uplifting and developing the youth, through his own Serge Ibaka Foundation, that focuses on issues of children’s health and education, and the Serge Ibaka Dreams Academy, that focuses on giving back through basketball.
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