Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on leading Nigerian musicians, including Asake, Burna Boy and Davido, to dedicate part of their wealth to charitable causes by establishing foundations and supporting vulnerable Nigerians.
She made the appeal on Saturday during the launch of the National Community Food Bank in Kogi State, stressing that wealthy Nigerians, particularly entertainers, should complement government efforts to tackle poverty through philanthropy.
The First Lady pointed to Senegalese-American singer Akon as an example of a celebrity committed to humanitarian work, encouraging Nigerian artistes to emulate his efforts by creating charitable foundations or strengthening their existing outreach initiatives.
While acknowledging that there is nothing wrong with owning luxury cars, Mrs Tinubu said affluent individuals should also extend financial support to struggling Nigerians, noting that government alone cannot meet the needs of everyone.
“I want to appeal to our young ones in the entertainment industry. I’ve mentioned it before, and I will use Akon, a music icon who does a lot of great charity work, as an example. Asake, Burna Boy, Davido, we want to see you with one foundation or the other, helping the poor with your money. Good cars are good. A Maybach is good, Rolls Royce is good, but still, you can help. The burden on the government is huge. There are pepper sellers, vegetable sellers, there are okro sellers, melon sellers, akara sellers, kuli-kuli sellers,” she said.
