First Lady Remi Tinubu Urges Davido, Burna Boy, Asake: Support Needy Nigerians

Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has appealed to prominent Afrobeats musicians, including Burna Boy, Davido, and Asake, to establish charitable foundations aimed at assisting the less privileged across the nation. Speaking on Thursday, July 11, at the launch of the National Community Food Bank in Kogi State, Mrs. Tinubu emphasized that the responsibility of catering to Nigeria's vast population is too substantial for the government to manage alone.

During her address, the First Lady directly called on the entertainment industry's youth to contribute to societal welfare. She referenced Senegalese-American music star Akon, known for his extensive philanthropic efforts, as an example. "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. Good cars are good; a Maybach is good. Rolls-Royce is good, but still you can still 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. Ankara is delicious. I can tell you that,” she stated.

Furthermore, Mrs. Tinubu encouraged Nigerians to embrace all legitimate avenues for financial independence, cautioning against looking down on any honest work. She recounted a story about a young graduate in Abuja who, unable to secure formal employment, resorted to selling "Zakara" (likely a local snack). "And there was once I read an article about a young graduate who said he didn’t get a job. And he said he sells Zakara because he couldn’t get a job and he’s in Abuja. 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 shared.

This appeal by the First Lady underscores the administration's call for collective effort in alleviating poverty and fostering economic empowerment among citizens.