First Lady Urges Davido, Burna Boy, Asake To Help Poor Nigerians

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has called on leading Afrobeats stars Davido, Burna Boy and Asake to complement government efforts by supporting vulnerable Nigerians through charitable initiatives.

Mrs Tinubu made the appeal on Saturday during the launch of the National Community Food Basket programme in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

Drawing comparisons with Senegalese-American music star Akon, the First Lady encouraged Nigerian entertainers to establish foundations and invest in programmes that directly improve the lives of less-privileged citizens.

She said the scale of poverty in the country is too enormous for the Federal Government to tackle alone, stressing that influential public figures also have a role to play in supporting communities.

Senator Tinubu further urged the entertainers to channel part of their wealth into humanitarian causes rather than concentrating solely on acquiring luxury vehicles such as Maybachs and Rolls-Royces, noting that their success could make a meaningful difference in the lives of many Nigerians.

“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.

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“Good cars are good; a Maybach is good. Rolls-Royce is good, but still you can 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 sellers. Akara is delicious. I can tell you that,” she added.

The First Lady also urged Nigerians not to look down on legitimate means of making a living.

Speaking on empowerment programmes in Kogi, Tinubu announced the donation of ₦100 million to empower another 2,000 petty traders in the state.

She also commended the beneficiaries for their efforts.

“Today, in that same spirit, the Renewed Hope Initiative has donated ₦100 million to the First Lady of Kogi State and RHI coordinator to empower another 2,000 petty traders in Kogi State with the sum of ₦50,000 each to recapitalise their existing businesses.

“I’m glad that the women who are beneficiaries got the idea because I saw them bringing their trays of different food items, very small items, to welcome me today, and I think the message is quite received, no matter how people want to turn it around,” Mrs Tinubu added.