Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has made a passionate appeal to Afrobeats superstars including Burna Boy, Davido, and Asake to use their wealth to support the less privileged through charitable foundations. Speaking at the launch of the National Community Food Bank in Kogi State on July 11, she emphasised that the government alone cannot shoulder the burden of providing for the vast population.
First Lady calls on entertainers to give back
Mrs Tinubu specifically referenced music icon Akon as a positive example of an artist who engages in significant charity work. She urged the younger generation of entertainers to follow suit. “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.
She continued: “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. 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.”
Encouraging legitimate livelihoods
The First Lady also used the occasion to encourage Nigerians to embrace small-scale businesses and not despise humble beginnings. She recounted a story of a young graduate in Abuja who initially sold zakara (a local snack) due to lack of employment, but later expanded his business with discreet support from her office, now employing 12 workers.
“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.
National Community Food Bank initiative
The launch of the National Community Food Bank in Kogi State is part of broader efforts to address food insecurity and poverty. Mrs Tinubu highlighted that even small contributions from wealthy individuals could make a difference, mentioning everyday traders such as pepper sellers, vegetable sellers, okra sellers, melon sellers, and akara kulikuli sellers as examples of legitimate economic activities that should be respected.
“Ankara is delicious. I can tell you that,” she added, referring to the popular local snack akara (bean cakes).
The First Lady’s appeal comes amid ongoing economic challenges in Nigeria, with many citizens struggling to meet basic needs. The government has repeatedly called for private sector and individual contributions to complement public welfare programmes.
