First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has defended her viral comment on empowering women through petty trading. She said small businesses such as akara, pepper, vegetable and kuli-kuli sales deserve support.
According to The Punch, Tinubu spoke on Saturday during the launch of the National Community Food Bank Programme in Lokoja, Kogi State.
First Lady defends petty trading scheme
The First Lady had drawn criticism in June after she suggested that women could use government grants to start small businesses such as frying akara. She also mentioned roasting corn and processing kuli-kuli as options.
Some Nigerians criticised the comment. Meanwhile, the Yoruba Union, Ìgbìnmọ́ Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá, said the suggestion trivialised the struggles of Nigerian women.
However, Tinubu stood by the Renewed Hope Initiative’s grassroots empowerment scheme. She said petty traders need support because many Nigerians depend on small businesses for survival.
She listed pepper, vegetable, okra, melon, akara and kuli-kuli sellers among the people who can benefit from such empowerment.
“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.
Tinubu appeals to entertainers
Tinubu also urged young entertainers to create foundations and use part of their wealth to help less privilleged Nigerians.
She named Davido, Burna Boy and Asake while asking stars in the entertainment industry to follow the example of music icon Akon. She praised Akon for his charity work.
“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.
The First Lady said she had nothing against luxury cars, but urged celebrities to balance their lifestyle with charity.
“Good cars are good, a Maybach is good, a Rolls-Royce is good, but still, you can help,” she said.
Graduate now employs 12 workers, Tinubu claims
Tinubu also narrated the story of an Abuja graduate who started selling akara after he failed to get a job.
She said her team later supported him without attaching her name to the assistance.
“There was once I read an article about a young graduate who said he didn’t get a job. 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 claimed.
The Remi Tinubu akara comment had followed her for weeks. This continued after President Bola Tinubu jokingly called her “Iya Alakara” at the Presidential Press Corps Dinner in Abuja.
In June, the First Lady also gave N50,000 grants to 2,000 petty traders during a visit to Jigawa State.
Tinubu said criticism would not stop the programme. She believes petty traders deserve financial support to grow their businesses and support their families.
