Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria (RTIFN), a pro-All Progressives Congress (APC) group, has defended remarks made by Oluremi Tinubu, the first lady.
Oluremi recently said small-scale food businesses, such as those selling akara and roasted corn,
She added that her office has been providing grants to support such businesses as part of efforts to improve livelihoods under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The remarks attracted criticism on social media, with some users accusing the first lady of downplaying the country’s economic hardship.
But a statement on Sunday by Ahmed Bala, director-general of RTIFN, said the first lady’s comments had been misunderstood and unnecessarily politicised.
Bala said the first lady’s message was a call for productivity, entrepreneurship and self-reliance rather than an insult to unemployed Nigerians.
“What Senator Oluremi Tinubu is saying is simple: if you don’t have a job, create one. There is dignity in labour. No honest means of livelihood should be looked down upon,” he said.
Bala noted that many Nigerians who criticised the advice were willing to undertake difficult and physically demanding jobs abroad in search of opportunities.
“There is a generation that will cross the Sahara Desert, risk the Mediterranean Sea or the Atlantic Ocean in search of opportunities abroad,” he said.
“Many of them sweep streets, wash dead bodies in mortuaries, work as caregivers in nursing homes and perform all kinds of difficult jobs overseas without shame. Yet, the same people criticize the First Lady for encouraging entrepreneurship at home.”
Bala said the era of relying on influential contacts for financial support was gradually coming to an end.
“The era when people could simply call one or two influential contacts to raise money for house rent is fading away,” he said.
“The economy cannot continue to sustain a culture of dependence. Nigerians must embrace productivity, innovation and enterprise.”
Bala said nation-building requires contributions from both government and citizens.
“Nation building is everyone’s responsibility. Every individual must contribute through hard work, creativity and enterprise. That is how successful economies are built,” he said.
He cited China and Singapore as examples of countries that transformed their economies by promoting entrepreneurship and respect for honest work.
Bala urged Nigerians to focus less on political controversies and more on skills acquisition, innovation and small businesses.
“The First Lady’s message is about encouraging self-reliance, not diminishing anyone’s struggles,” he said.
“Rather than politicising her comments, we should encourage every Nigerian to become productive, because the future of our country depends on the willingness of all of us to work and build together.”
