Tech Boot Camp: Cadbury Nigeria Empowers over 9000 Kids

#FeatureByCNP: Encourages children to acquire skills for technological relevance in the 21st century.

Cadbury Nigeria Plc, a subsidiary of Mondelez International and producers of the iconic cocoa beverage, Bournvita unveiled outstanding participants of the yearly Tech Boot Camp since inception at a media parley held at the company’s head office in Lagos, On October 5th 2022.

Bournvita has trained over 1,200 children since inception of the boot camp in 2019 in line with our social mission of improving literacy by preparing kids to lead with digital skills. The initiative is consistent with the brand's efforts in collaborating with parents to help their children pursue their dreams.

L-R: Mr Frederick Mordi, Head of Corporate Communications and Government Affairs, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Mr Tolulope Olaoye, Category Manager, Cocoa Beverages, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Mrs Oyeyimika Adeboye, Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Mr Motsamai Pule, Marketing Manager, Cadbury Nigeria Plc at the media parley and award presentation of outstanding candidates from the Cadbury Bournvita Tech Bootcamp held in Lagos.

One of the highlights at the event was the presentation of gift items to participants of previous and current editions of the Tech Boot Camp that had taken a step further to develop platforms that are useful in their everyday lives - Damilare Akinwoya from the 2019 edition; David Ibekwe, from the 2020 edition; Jemimah Emoedume, from the 2021 edition and Ovie Luther-Abegunde from the 2022 edition.

Addressing guests at the event, the Managing Director, Cadbury West Africa, Mrs. Oyeyimika Adeboye, said: “The relevance of STEM in today’s world cannot be overestimated. Technology, as you know, has become a key driver for the fourth industrial revolution sweeping across the world.

"We want to encourage our children to learn the skills needed to be relevant in this modern technological era while they are still young. Our curriculum is intensive enough to meet real life needs and many of our graduates have proceeded to build problem solving robots, drones, and apps. Some have even won tech competitions in Nigeria and beyond."

L-R: Chioma Nwichi, Brand Manager, Cocoa Beverages, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Mr Tolulope Olaoye, Category Manager, Cocoa Beverages, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Mrs Queeneth Emoedume, mother of 2021 winner; Jemimah Emoedume, outstanding candidate of 2021 Cadbury Bournvita Tech Bootcamp; Mrs Oyeyimika Adeboye, Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc at the media parley and award presentation of outstanding candidates from the Cadbury Bournvita Tech Bootcamp held in Lagos.

Since its inception, the boot camp has provided a platform for Nigerian students, between ages 9 and 16, to study and develop skills in areas like artificial intelligence, gaming, robotics, and coding, among others, as they fulfil their STEM aspirations.

Of the 8,466 entries received for the 2022 edition, 534 applicants were selected for the Bournvita Tech Bootcamp - a 44% increase on last year’s 370 participants.

Commenting on the brand’s role in providing everyday nourishment for children and contributing to their growth, Category Manager, Cocoa beverages & Biscuit, Cadbury West Africa, Mr. Tolulope Olaoye, said, “We believe that, not only should Bournvita give young people the vitamins and minerals needed, we must also see to their mental and physical vitality, which the tech bootcamp offers. Since we commenced this initiative in 2019, we have trained over 9,000 kids - 1,200 kids directly at the bootcamp and the others through our partnership with Codingal.

L-R: Chioma Nwichi, Brand Manager, Cocoa Beverages, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Mr Tolulope Olaoye, Category Manager, Cocoa Beverages, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Mrs Ewoma Abegunde, mother of the 2021 winner; Ovie Luther-Abegunde, outstanding candidate of 2021 Cadbury Bournvita Tech Bootcamp; Mrs Oyeyimika Adeboye, Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc at the media parley and award presentation of outstanding candidates from the Cadbury Bournvita Tech Bootcamp held in Lagos.

"We wanted to ensure that the 8,466 kids not shortlisted from the entries this year still got equipped with the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century. We remain committed to nurturing and producing the next tech experts in the country and hope that the next edition gets even better.”

Through its flagship brand, Bournvita, Cadbury Nigeria has contributed to the mental and physical health of Nigerians by leading programmes that support young people's educational growth. Programmes like the Bournvita School Program, Bournvita Tech Boot Camp, and Bourn Factor Talent Competition are some of the brand’s initiatives to positively impact children's lives across the country, and to encourage them to hone relevant skills and talent for the 21st century.

L-R: Chioma Nwichi, Brand Manager, Cocoa Beverages, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Mrs. Akinwoya, mother of the 2019 winner; Mr Tolulope Olaoye, Category Manager, Cocoa Beverages, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Damilare Akinwoya, outstanding candidate of the 2019 Cadbury Bournvita Tech Bootcamp; Mrs Oyeyimika Adeboye, Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc at the media parley and award presentation of outstanding candidates from the Cadbury Bournvita Tech Bootcamp held in Lagos.

L-R: Chioma Nwichi, Brand Manager, Cocoa Beverages, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; Mrs. Ibekwe, mother of 2020 winner; Mr Tolulope Olaoye, Category Manager, Cocoa Beverages, Cadbury Nigeria Plc; David Ibekwe, outstanding candidate of the 2020 Cadbury Bournvita Tech Bootcamp; Mrs Oyeyimika Adeboye, Managing Director, Cadbury Nigeria Plc at the media parley and award presentation of outstanding candidates from the Cadbury Bournvita Tech Bootcamp held in Lagos.

About Mondelēz International

Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries around the world. With 2021 net revenues of approximately $29 billion, MDLZ is leading the future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such as OREO, belVita and LU biscuits; Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate; Sour Patch Kids candy and Trident gum. Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor’s 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDLZ.

About Cadbury Nigeria

Cadbury Nigeria Plc (CNP), a publicly quoted company, is the pioneer cocoa beverage manufacturer offering some of the most loved brands in the country. Cadbury Nigeria is a 74.99%-owned subsidiary of Mondelēz International, a global snacking powerhouse with an unrivalled portfolio of brands. The remaining 25.01% of shares are held by a diverse group of indigenous, individual and institutional investors. A front-runner in beverages, confectionery and gum, Cadbury Nigeria’s quality products--Bournvita, Hot Chocolate 3 in 1, TomTom, Buttermint, and Clorets--are market leaders in their respective consumer segments.

For more information, visit www.cadburynigeria.com or www.mondelezinternational.com/About/Nigeria

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