First Lady Appeals to Afrobeats Stars for Philanthropy
Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has appealed to Afrobeats stars Davido, Burna Boy, Asake and other wealthy Nigerians to use their resources to support poor and vulnerable citizens, saying the government cannot shoulder the country's welfare burden alone.
Mrs Tinubu made the appeal on Saturday during the launch of the National Community Food Bank Programme in Lokoja, Kogi State, where she urged successful entertainers to establish charitable foundations dedicated to helping the less privileged.
'Burden on Government Is Huge'
According to the First Lady, Nigeria has many wealthy individuals who should make philanthropy a priority. '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,' she said.
She singled out Senegalese-American singer Akon as an example of a celebrity known for humanitarian work and encouraged Nigerian music stars to emulate him. '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. 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,' she said.
Celebrities Urged to Give Back Despite Luxury
While acknowledging that there is nothing wrong with enjoying luxury, Mrs Tinubu said successful celebrities should also give back to society. 'Good cars are good; a Maybach is good. Rolls-Royce is good, but still you can 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,' she said.
Dignity in Small Businesses
The First Lady also revisited her earlier remarks encouraging Nigerians to embrace small businesses, insisting that there is dignity in honest work. She recounted the story of a university graduate in Abuja who turned to selling akara after failing to secure formal employment. According to her, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) later supported him to expand the business. '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.
₦100 Million Support for Kogi Traders
As part of the programme, Mrs Tinubu announced that the Renewed Hope Initiative would donate ₦100 million to empower 2,000 petty traders in Kogi State. She said each beneficiary would receive ₦50,000 to recapitalise an existing business.
The National Community Food Bank Programme is one of the Federal Government's initiatives aimed at supporting vulnerable Nigerians and improving food security across the country.
