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50 years celebration of National Council of Traditional Rulers|Nestlé

On Wednesday, 29th April 2015, Nestlé Cameroon hosted a delegation of traditional rulers at its Douala factory to mark the occasion of fifty years of Nestlé’s presence in Cameroon. These members of the Cameroon Council of Traditional Rulers came from the various regions of the country to witness the activities of the world’s leading company in Nutrition, Health and Wellness in Cameroon.
 
Since its establishment in 1965, Nestlé has been contributing to enhance quality of life of the Cameroonian population by providing healthy, delicious and nutritious food for different times of the day and different stages of life. Building a company over fifty years requires effort every day in domains such as: respecting national and international rules and regulations; considering sustainability; and creating shared value amongst its various stakeholders.
 
The traditional rulers were introduced to Nestlé’s efforts to sensitize the population on non-communicable diseases and maternal and infant nutrition and on the steps Nestlé has taken to fortify its products with micronutrients to help combat vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
 
Bruno Olierhoek, Country Manager of Nestlé Cameroon, seized the occasion to further highlight Nestlé’s role as a key social and economic contributor in terms of job opportunities, tax and duties, investments and education programs. He reiterated that, “For Nestlé to be successful in the long term, we need to create value for our shareholders, but also for the communities in which we operate. This is the reason of our presence here today, to share with your Royal Highnesses the role we play every single day in your communities”.
 
A presentation on the Halal certification of the factory informed the guests of the stringent quality measures Nestlé takes to satisfy its consumers’ expectations.
Speaking on behalf of the whole council, the President Alim Garga Hayatou, congratulated Nestlé for extending this invitation to the traditional rulers to celebrate its fifty year presence in Cameroon. He said, “Traditional society is the basis of our community. It is important therefore to build a partnership with the local authorities for the benefit of the population, and it is crucial that we act as one to address the challenges associated with malnutrition and under-nutrition in our environment because we have the same preoccupation; the wellbeing of our communities”. He further entreated Nestlé and his fellow traditional rulers to build partnerships to face the expectations of the people under their responsibility.
 
Underscoring Nestlé’s concern to meet consumer needs and expectations, a toll-free consumer service number was officially launched by Mr. Nya Calvin, President of the Council of Consumers’ Association. Following this, a factory tour at the end of the day enabled the leaders to see the investments Nestlé has made over the years in Cameroon firsthand.
 
The traditional ruler from the North West of Cameroon, Fon Chafah, was particularly impressed by the Douala Factory, “I’ve never seen such an infrastructure and such cleanliness in the [manufacturing] process. It is really amazing. It is good that Nestlé brings such experience to our country and sets the standard to build much better factories for the future”.
 
The chiefs left the grounds of Nestlé’s Douala factory having enjoyed and learnt from the experience and with the promise to come again.
 
This visit supports the long term strategy to build the reputation of Nestlé in the Central and West Africa Region.