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,
