Nestle seeks collaboration to tackle environmental challenges, others

By Merit Ibe

Nestle Nigeria has emphasized the need for collaboration across sectors including corporations, scientists, and the media to address Nigeria’s pressing societal challenges

The Managing Director and chief executive Officer, Nestlé Nigeria PLC,

Wassim Elhusseini, made the remarks at  8th Nestlé Advancing Nutrition, Health and Environmental Awareness Through the Media program, held at the  Lagos Business School, Sustainability Centre.

Elhusseini underscored that collaboration is not optional but essential, urging cooperation across sectors, disciplines, the newsroom and the boardroom to build a healthier, more resilient society.

He applauded journalists as “builders of public trust, interpreters of science, and enablers of action,” emphasizing their critical role in driving sustainable change.

The program, initially a training workshop, has evolved into a vital platform for knowledge exchange and partnership.

Reeling out five essential principles to guide future collaboration he stressed that overcoming issues like food insecurity, climate change, and preventable diseases requires united efforts across newsrooms, boardrooms, and disciplines.

“We are not opposites, we are partners.”

He also pointed out the place of  data led journalism in an era of information overload, urging media professionals to champion the course. “Understand it. Demand it. Use it,” he said, highlighting its power to illuminate complex issues like malnutrition or environmental degradation and guide meaningful public conversation.

“On context, he cautioned against misleading statistics, urging journalists to humanize data by linking it to lived experiences .  “A climate report becomes urgent when it reflects lived realities. Context gives data its humanity.

“Nestlé Nigeria actively welcomes media scrutiny. We welcome scrutiny. We expect you to hold institutions like ours to high standards, Elhusseini asserted,” affirming that constructive criticism fosters transparency, accountability, and earned trust.

Reiterating Nestlé’s core principle of Creating Shared Value, Elhusseini declared, “Progress is shared  or it isn’t progress at all.”

He emphasized that programs like this are vital investments in democratizing knowledge and ensuring inclusive societal advancement, powered by media storytelling.

Elhusseini challenged participants to carry the program’s momentum forward: “Keep asking questions. Keep building networks. Keep connecting the dots between what we eat, how we live, and the environment we depend on.”

He expressed gratitude to the journalists for their engagement, the LBS, facilitators, guest speakers, and the program team, reaffirming Nestlé’s commitment.