FrieslandCampina Côte d’Ivoire, best known for its iconic century-old brand BONNET ROUGE, and the Ministry of Technical Education, Vocational Training and Apprenticeship (METFPA) have signed a strategic agreement in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Koffi N’Guessan, Minister of Technical Education, Vocational Training and Apprenticeship, and His Excellency Mr. Jeroen Kelderhuis, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Côte d’Ivoire.

During the event, Mr. Adewale Arikawe, Managing Director – FrieslandCampina Sub-Saharan Africa, recalled that the mission of the Dutch company—to nourish a better planet for future generations through quality nutrition while creating a positive and lasting impact in communities—aligns perfectly with one of the key objectives of the METFPA: developing the talents of young people through quality practical training to facilitate their professional integration, particularly for those who have left the school system.

As part of this partnership, FrieslandCampina commits to:

• Providing technical support and expertise where needed;
• Offering internship opportunities to top-performing students, based on operational needs and capacity;
• Delivering coaching and mentorship to help young talents build confidence and skills;
• Collaborating in the development of a tailor-made training program in dairy farming.

This type of partnership reflects the vision of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for inclusive economic cooperation.

Such initiatives are strongly encouraged across the entire Dutch private sector.

Special thanks were extended to Minister Koffi N’Guessan for his ambitious vision and commitment to empowering and improving the employability of young Ivorians.