Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu, has defended her recent comments about empowering small-scale businesses, insisting that the Federal Government’s intervention programme extends beyond akara sellers to include other petty traders across the country.
Speaking on Monday during the inauguration of the Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall at the Emir of Hadejia’s Palace in Jigawa State, the First Lady said traders dealing in tomatoes, pepper, vegetables and roasted plantain (bole) are also benefiting from the programme under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Her remarks come after she faced criticism on social media for previously citing akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli businesses as examples of viable sources of income for women.
Addressing the backlash, Tinubu stressed that the initiative is designed to support a wide range of small business owners.
“It’s not only akara… we also have tomato sellers. And those selling pepper, selling vegetables for us in the market. We’ll continue to empower them and add to their resources so that their trade can really be sustainable,” she said.
She disclosed that the Federal Government had provided ₦100 million to the Jigawa State Government to support 2,000 petty traders, with each beneficiary expected to receive ₦50,000 to strengthen their businesses.
The First Lady maintained that the government would not be discouraged by criticism of the programme.
“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 are well cared for,” she added.
Tinubu also encouraged young Nigerians to embrace agriculture, describing it as a sector with enormous opportunities capable of creating wealth beyond the country’s dependence on oil.
She cited an orange orchard she recently visited in Benue State as an example of the untapped agricultural potential available across Nigeria.
