First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has urged Nigerians to remain hopeful amid the increasing economic challenges bedevilling the country.
She also encouraged citizens to explore small-scale businesses that require minimal capital to start.
Speaking on initiatives aimed at empowering ordinary Nigerians, Mrs. Tinubu highlighted the ease of accessing business ventures such as selling akara (fried bean cakes), roasted corn, groundnuts, and kulikuli.
“We’re trying to give hope, and to start akara business doesn’t take a lot of money; to start roasting corn, somebody even said something about groundnuts; you see they are saying that, kulikuli doesn’t take much,” Mrs Tinubu said.
The First Lady stressed that her office and the government have supported such business through grants rather than loans, making them more accessible to beneficiaries.
“We didn’t give them a loan, we gave it to them as a grant, so we encourage Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given and I keep giving,” she said.
Mrs. Tinubu also detailed several health and social intervention programmes her office has funded. These include N2 billion for tuberculosis cases, N1 billion for breast cancer initiatives, and N500 million for addressing malnutrition.
She outlined broader efforts by the Office of the First Lady in agriculture, social investment programmes, and education, including scholarships, ICT training, and support
According to her, the present administration remains open to funding additional initiatives that can improve the lives of citizens.
Mrs. Tinubu further linked her message of hope to the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying that the government is working to change the narrative and restore optimism among Nigerians.
“The average man is supposed to have hope, so, I like the idea that Mr President said, this is the Renewed Hope Agenda and we have to renew our hope and that’s what I have to tell Nigerians,” she stated.