Women, disability business Owners to benefit from Social Procurement Initiative

By Ijeoma Thomas-Odia

With a vision of making sustainable living commonplace, Unilever Nigeria has partnered with SupplierGateway to launch its social procurement initiative aimed at increasing investment on female and disability owned businesses in Nigeria.

This will ensures everyone, including women and people with disabilities are exposed to new opportunities to fly high in their business without any gender or disability barricade.

Speaking at the event, Managing Director Unilever West Africa Carl Cruz said, “We are pleased to announce the launch of our Social Procurement in Unilever Nigeria as part of the global commitment to invest in diverse businesses worldwide. We class businesses as diverse if they are at least 51 per cent owned, managed, and controlled by groups underrepresented in business, such as women, people with disabilities, ethnic and racial or other minority groups.”

We are also pleased to have Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ), United Nations Global Compact Nigeria Network and Nigeria Business Disability Network as our support partners on this initiative.”

While CEO, SupplierGateway, Ade Solaru, commended Unilever for its support and vision on sustainability to make positive socioeconomic impact through this initiative.

On Unilever Nigeria’s resolve to empower women and people with disabilities, the Procurement Director, Obinna Emenyonu said the company will continue to take deliberate steps to ensure its supply chain is more diverse and inclusive.

“Through this initiative, we want to break the biases against women and people with disabilities in business. These biases are stopping them from maximising their full potential.”