The Director General of Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria, RTIFN, Ahmed Bala, has defended the recent remarks by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, urging Nigerians to embrace dignity in labour, insisting that her comments have been misunderstood and unnecessarily politicised.
Mrs Tinubu made the remarks while speaking with correspondents following the second-quarter meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative with wives of state governors at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday.
Speaking on the activities of the Renewed Hope Initiative, the First Lady said the programme had been providing grants, rather than loans, to vulnerable Nigerians to help them start businesses and improve their livelihoods.
“We’re trying to give hope, and to start Akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn, or somebody even said kuli kuli doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant.
“So we’ve encouraged Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given, and I keep giving,” she said.
However, her comments on small-scale businesses triggered swift criticism, with many social media users accusing her of downplaying the severity of the country’s economic challenges.
Reacting to the public debate surrounding the First Lady’s suggestion that unemployed Nigerians could consider ventures such as frying akara or roasting corn to earn a living, Bala said the message was a call for productivity, entrepreneurship and self-reliance rather than an insult to the unemployed.
According to him, the First Lady was simply reminding Nigerians that the era of easy money and dependence on personal connections is gradually giving way to a culture where honest work, regardless of its nature, should be respected.
“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,” Bala said.
He argued that many Nigerians who criticize such advice are often willing to undertake difficult and physically demanding jobs outside the country.
“There is a generation that will cross the Sahara Desert, risk the Mediterranean Sea or the Atlantic Ocean in search of opportunities abroad. 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,” he stated.
Bala maintained that the First Lady’s comments should be interpreted as a call to action rather than a political statement.
“The era when people could simply call one or two influential contacts to raise money for house rent is fading away. The economy cannot continue to sustain a culture of dependence. Nigerians must embrace productivity, innovation and enterprise,” he added.
The RTIFN Director General further said nation-building requires the participation of every citizen, stressing that government alone cannot create prosperity without corresponding efforts from the people.
“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.
Drawing comparisons with rapidly industrialised nations, Bala argued that countries such as China and Singapore achieved remarkable economic transformation by promoting a strong work ethic, entrepreneurship and a culture that respects honest labour.
He urged Nigerians to focus less on political controversies and more on creating opportunities for themselves, saying that sustainable economic growth depends on a productive citizenry.
Bala called on Nigerians to embrace skills acquisition, small businesses and innovation, insisting that every legitimate occupation has value and contributes to national development.
“The First Lady’s message is about encouraging self-reliance, not diminishing anyone’s struggles. 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,” he said.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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