The Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has defended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s recent empowerment programme for micro-traders, dismissing criticisms as uninformed and dismissive of Nigeria’s informal economy.
In a statement on Monday, Olusegun described the backlash over support for small-scale traders such as akara and kulikuli sellers as a “performative circus of selective amnesia.”
He argued that critics had overlooked the broader interventions of the Renewed Hope Initiative, which span healthcare, women’s empowerment, military widows, and persons with disabilities.
He cited the First Lady’s ₦1bn donation to the National Cancer Fund for cervical cancer screening, another ₦1bn for tuberculosis diagnostic equipment in Abuja, and ₦250,000 disbursed to 1,709 widows and orphans of fallen military personnel in 2023.
Additionally, ₦200,000 business grants were distributed to persons with disabilities across all states and the FCT.
Olusegun highlighted partnerships with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which provided ₦50,000 grants to 18,500 women nationwide, alongside equipment such as grinding machines, freezers, and generators.
Criticising what he termed an “Olodo uprising” on social media, Olusegun accused detractors of chasing hashtags without researching facts.
He stressed that empowering small-scale traders should not be seen as “weaponising poverty,” noting that the informal sector contributes over 50% of Nigeria’s GDP and accounts for more than 80% of employment.
“The akara fryer, the kulikuli processor, and the petty trader are not marginal actors; they are the shock absorbers of our micro-economy,” he said, adding that grassroots empowerment builds trust and sustains political engagement.
Olusegun referenced past initiatives like TraderMoni and MarketMoni under former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, arguing that such programmes explain why poorer communities remain loyal to the APC.
He concluded that Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s record as Lagos First Lady, three-term senator, and now First Lady of Nigeria reflects a consistent commitment to structured empowerment.
“She will not be distracted by digital static from doing what she has mastered over decades: empowering the poorest among us, one structured intervention at a ti
me,” Olusegun stated.
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