Remi Tinubu defends akara remark, urges Davido, Burna Boy to help the poor

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has appealed to some of Nigeria's biggest music stars, including Davido, Burna Boy and Asake, to establish charitable foundations to support the less privileged, while defending her recent remarks on empowering women through small-scale businesses such as frying akara and roasting corn.

Mrs Tinubu made the appeal on Saturday during the launch of the National Community Food Bank Programme in Lokoja, Kogi State.

She urged successful entertainers to complement their wealth and luxurious lifestyles with deliberate efforts aimed at improving the lives of struggling Nigerians through philanthropy.

"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 added that while there was nothing wrong with owning luxury vehicles, celebrities should also prioritise giving back to society.

"Good cars are good, a Maybach is good, a Rolls-Royce is good, but still, you can help," she said.

Mrs Tinubu also responded to criticism that followed her June remarks suggesting that women could be empowered through government grants to start small businesses such as frying akara, roasting corn and producing kuli-kuli.

The comments had attracted widespread criticism from Nigerians, including the Yoruba Union, Ìgbìnmọ́ Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá, which argued that the remarks downplayed the economic realities facing many women.

Defending the Renewed Hope Initiative's grassroots empowerment programme, the First Lady maintained that petty traders deserve support and listed pepper sellers, vegetable sellers, okra sellers, melon sellers, akara vendors and kuli-kuli producers among those who could benefit from government assistance.

"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.

Mrs Tinubu also recounted the story of an Abuja-based graduate who reportedly 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 claimed.