First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has responded to the criticism that followed her recent comments on small-scale businesses, clarifying that the Federal Government’s empowerment programmes are not limited to akara sellers but also target other petty traders across the country.
Mrs Tinubu made the clarification on Monday during the inauguration of the newly completed Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall at the Emir of Hadejia’s Palace in Jigawa State, according to a video broadcast by TVC News.
Her latest remarks come days after she suggested that businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli require little capital to start. The comments generated widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians accusing her of downplaying the country’s economic challenges.
Addressing the controversy, the First Lady disclosed that the Federal Government had provided N100 million to the Jigawa State Government to support 2,000 petty traders in the state.
“Because of the atmosphere, what is going on, I’ve told Her Excellency that we’ve already given, donated about 100 million to her to use to empower 2,000 petty traders.
“And I know they’ve been talking that I said akara. It’s not only akara, we also have tomato sellers. We have boole, and those also selling pepper, selling vegetables for us in the market.
“We will continue to empower them and add to their resources so that their trade can really be sustainable. So that is what we are doing,” she said.
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According to the First Lady, each of the 2,000 beneficiaries will receive N50,000 to strengthen their existing businesses.
“We continue to carry the capacity. We have the amount of 2,000 women who are already in small businesses. They will recapitalise their businesses with the N50,000 each. We’ve already given the N100 million,” she added.
Mrs Tinubu insisted that public criticism of her earlier remarks would not discourage the government from continuing its empowerment initiatives.
“I know all those people who are affected, they do appreciate it. And we are not intimidated by all those wrong reports. But we are forging ahead and making sure that our people, you know, are well cared for,” she said.
She also highlighted Nigeria’s vast economic potential beyond crude oil, recalling a visit to an orange orchard in Benue State and encouraging young Nigerians to explore opportunities in other sectors.
“Nigeria is a really blessed country. I’ve been travelling, and I pray that our young people will see the resources we have in this nation. We have not even gone to explore yet because we are thinking it’s oil. But there are so many things,” she said.