By Chioma Okoye
The Director-General of Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria (RTIFN), Ahmed Bala, has defended the recent remarks by First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, urging Nigerians to embrace dignity in labour, saying her comments have been misunderstood and unnecessarily politicised.
Bala said the First Lady’s advice encouraging unemployed Nigerians to consider small-scale businesses such as frying akara, roasting corn or producing kulikuli was a call for productivity, entrepreneurship and self-reliance, rather than an attempt to downplay the country’s economic challenges.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu made the remarks while speaking with journalists after the second-quarter meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative with wives of state governors at the State House, Abuja.
Highlighting the activities of the initiative, the First Lady explained that the programme provides grants—not loans—to vulnerable Nigerians to enable them start small 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 kulikuli, 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 had said.
However, the comments sparked criticism on social media, with some Nigerians accusing the First Lady of trivialising the country’s economic hardship.
Reacting to the backlash, Bala said her remarks had been taken out of context and should be seen as encouragement for Nigerians to become economically productive.
“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,” he said.
According to him, many Nigerians who criticise such advice often have no reservations about taking up physically demanding jobs abroad in search of better opportunities.
“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 criticise the First Lady for encouraging entrepreneurship at home,” he stated.
Bala argued that the First Lady’s comments should not be viewed through a political lens but as a practical message encouraging self-reliance.
“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 stressed that nation-building requires active participation from citizens, noting 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 countries such as China and Singapore, Bala said their rapid economic transformation was driven by strong work ethics, entrepreneurship and respect for honest labour.
He urged Nigerians to focus less on political controversies and more on acquiring skills, starting businesses and creating opportunities for themselves.
“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,” Bala said.
