Nigeria's First Lady Oluremi Tinubu calls on top musicians to fund charities

During the launch of the National Community Food Bank Programme in Lokoja, Kogi State, Nigeria’s First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu announced a ₦100 million empowerment package for 2,000 petty traders, giving each ₦50,000 to recapitalise their businesses under the Renewed Hope Initiative. She used the event to urge wealthy entertainers – Burna Boy, Davido and Asake (and others such as Wizkid) – to create charitable foundations, citing Senegalese‑American singer Akon as an example. Tinubu said, “We have a lot of wealthy people… but our priorities are different. I think it is high time we started helping those who need help in the country,” and added, “The burden on the government is huge.” She highlighted small‑scale sellers of pepper, vegetables, okra, melon, akara and kuli‑kuli as beneficiaries, and recounted a graduate who turned to selling akara and now employs twelve workers. The appeal sparked criticism from politician Isaac Fayose, who questioned why state governors are not allocating large monthly sums to poverty alleviation and challenged the focus on celebrities.

The initiative combines food‑security measures with grassroots economic support, aiming to reduce poverty through public‑private collaboration.