First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has defended her remarks on empowering women through small-scale businesses, reaffirming her commitment to supporting grassroots entrepreneurs while urging successful entertainers to invest in charitable initiatives.
Speaking on Saturday during the launch of the National Community Food Bank Programme in Lokoja, Kogi State, Tinubu addressed the reactions that followed her June comments, where she encouraged women to take advantage of government grants to start businesses such as frying akara, roasting corn and producing kuli-kuli.
Her remarks had sparked criticism from some quarters, including the Yoruba Union, Ìgbìnmọ́ Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá, which argued that the proposal did not adequately reflect the economic realities facing many Nigerian women.
Responding to the criticism, the First Lady reaffirmed her support for the Renewed Hope Initiative’s grassroots empowerment programme and appealed to top figures in the entertainment industry to establish charitable foundations to support vulnerable Nigerians.
“I want to appeal to our young ones in the entertainment industry. I have mentioned it before, and I will use Akon, a music icon who does a lot of great charity work.
“They make the Burna Boys of this world, the Asakes, all of them, Davido, we want to see you with one foundation or the other, helping the poor with your money,” she said.
Tinubu acknowledged that there was nothing wrong with owning luxury cars but encouraged wealthy celebrities to also give back to society.
“Good cars are good, a Maybach is good, a Rolls-Royce is good, but still, you can help,” she said.
She explained that the empowerment programme is not limited to akara sellers but also targets other small-scale traders, including those who sell pepper, vegetables, okra and melon.
According to her, supporting these entrepreneurs would reduce the financial burden on families while complementing government efforts to improve livelihoods.
“The burden on the government is huge. You can still help. There are pepper sellers, there are vegetable sellers, there are okra sellers, melon sellers, akara sellers. Akara is delicious, I can tell you that,” she said.
To highlight the impact of the initiative, Tinubu shared the story of a university graduate in Abuja who turned to selling akara after failing to secure employment.
“There was once I read an article about a young graduate who said he didn’t get a job, and he said he sells akara because he couldn’t get a job. He’s in Abuja.
“We approached him, I didn’t put my name to it, and we equipped him more. He now has 12 workers working under him, and he’s doing very, very well,” she said.
Tinubu’s earlier remarks on empowering akara sellers generated widespread public discussion for weeks, with President Bola Tinubu later jokingly referring to her as “Iya Alakara” during the Presidential Press Corps Dinner in Abuja.