Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has narrated how an unemployed graduate who turned to selling akara after failing to secure a job expanded the business and now employs 12 workers.
She shared the story on Saturday while inaugurating the National Community Food Bank in Kogi State, urging Nigerians, particularly entertainers and wealthy individuals, to support vulnerable members of society through charitable initiatives.
The First Lady said small-scale businesses such as selling akara, pepper, vegetables, okra, melon and kuli-kuli remained viable means of earning a living and should not be looked down upon.
According to her, the graduate, who operated the akara business in Abuja, received additional support from her office after she came across his story.
"There was a time I read about a young graduate who could not get a job and decided to sell akara in Abuja. We quietly reached out and supported him without attaching my name to it. Today, he has 12 people working for him and his business is thriving," she said.
Oluremi Tinubu also challenged wealthy Nigerians, particularly music stars, to establish charitable foundations and invest more in supporting the less privileged.
"I want to appeal to our young people in the entertainment industry. Asake, Burna Boy and Davido should emulate Akon by setting up foundations to help the poor. There is nothing wrong with owning luxury cars, but you can also use your wealth to change lives because the burden on government is enormous," she added.
The First Lady's remarks come weeks after she encouraged Nigerian women to embrace small businesses under the Renewed Hope Initiative's economic empowerment programme, describing entrepreneurship as a practical pathway to self-reliance and job creation.
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