First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has explained that the Federal Government’s economic empowerment programme is designed to support a broad range of small scale traders, stressing that it is not limited to akara sellers as some critics have suggested.
She made the clarification on Monday during the inauguration of the newly completed Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall at the palace of the Emir of Hadejia in Jigawa State.
Her remarks came after her earlier comments about businesses such as akara, roasted corn and kuli kuli attracted reactions on social media, with many questioning the scope of the government’s support for small businesses.
Addressing the criticism, the First Lady said the intervention also targets traders who sell tomatoes, peppers, vegetables, roasted plantain, popularly known as bole, and many other small scale businesses operating in markets across the country.
According to her, the Federal Government has already released N100 million to the Jigawa State Government to empower 2,000 petty traders through the initiative.
She explained that each selected beneficiary would receive N50,000 to help expand and strengthen their businesses, adding that the beneficiaries had already been identified.
Oluremi Tinubu said the programme is intended to provide financial support that will enable small business owners to sustain and grow their enterprises.
She also insisted that criticism and negative comments would not discourage the government from continuing with its economic empowerment programmes.
The First Lady noted that those who have benefited from similar interventions understand the impact of the support, adding that the government remains committed to improving the welfare of Nigerians despite what she described as inaccurate reports.
She reaffirmed that the administration will continue implementing initiatives aimed at supporting ordinary Nigerians and ensuring that more small business owners receive the assistance needed to improve their livelihoods.
