FIRST Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on Afrobeats superstars Burna Boy, Davido and Asake to support vulnerable Nigerians by establishing foundations and investing in charitable causes across the country.
News Point Nigeria reports that the First Lady made the appeal on Saturday in Lokoja, Kogi State, during the launch of the national community food bank, where she also urged wealthy Nigerians to extend assistance to those in need, noting that the burden on government remained enormous.
She described Nigeria as a country blessed with abundant wealth and affluent individuals but lamented that the nation’s priorities needed to shift towards helping the less privileged.
“Nigeria is a great country. We have a lot of wealthy people. But our priorities are different. And I think it’s high time we started helping those who need help in the country,” Mrs Tinubu said.
The First Lady said she had previously spoken about the need for greater charitable efforts among celebrities and cited Senegalese-American singer Akon as an example of an entertainer known for humanitarian work.
“I want to appeal to our young ones in the entertainment industry. I’ve mentioned it before, and I will use Akon, a music icon who does a lot of great charity work,” she said.
“The Burna Boys of this world, Asake, all of them, Davido. We want to see you with one foundation or the other, helping the poor with your money.”
Mrs Tinubu acknowledged the appeal of luxury lifestyles but maintained that celebrities and wealthy Nigerians could still dedicate resources to supporting struggling citizens.
“Good cars are good; a Maybach is good. Rolls-Royce is good, but still you can still help. 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 kulikuli. Ankara is delicious. I can tell you that,” she added.
The First Lady also urged Nigerians not to look down on legitimate means of earning a living, regardless of the nature of the work.
Recalling an encounter with a university graduate in Abuja, she narrated how the young man had turned to selling zakara after failing to secure formal employment.
“And there was once I read an article about a young graduate who said he didn’t get a job. And he said he sells Zakara because he couldn’t get a job and he’s in Abuja.
“We approached him, but I didn’t put my name to it. We equipped him more. He now has 12 workers working under him, and he’s doing very, very well. So our people should never despise jobs,” she said.
Speaking on empowerment initiatives in Kogi State, Mrs Tinubu announced a donation aimed at supporting another 2,000 petty traders across the state.
According to her, the Renewed Hope Initiative donated ₦100 million to the wife of the Kogi State governor and the state coordinator of the initiative to provide grants of ₦50,000 each to the beneficiaries.
“Today in that same spirit, the Renewed Hope Initiative has donated ₦100 million to the First Lady of Kogi State and RHI coordinator to empower another 2,000 petty traders in Kogi State with the sum of ₦50,000 each to recapitalise their existing businesses,” she said.
Mrs Tinubu commended the beneficiaries for embracing the initiative and expressed delight at the warm reception she received from local traders.
“And I’m glad that the women who are beneficiaries, they got the idea because I saw them bringing their tray of different food items, very small items, to welcome me today, and I think the message is quite received no matter how people want to turn it around,” she added.