The Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, has defended First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s empowerment initiatives, insisting that criticisms of her support for petty traders stem from ignorance of her track record and a poor understanding of Nigeria’s informal economy.
In a statement shared on Monday, Olusegun described the backlash against the First Lady’s recent empowerment of micro-traders, including akara and kulikuli sellers, as a “performative circus of selective amnesia.”
According to him, critics have deliberately overlooked the wide range of interventions implemented through the Renewed Hope Initiative, which extends beyond small-scale traders to healthcare, women empowerment, support for military widows, and persons living with disabilities.
He cited several programmes undertaken by the initiative, including the donation of ₦1 billion to the National Cancer Fund for cervical cancer screening and another ₦1 billion for tuberculosis diagnostic equipment in Abuja in 2025.
Olusegun also recalled that in 2023, the First Lady’s initiative disbursed ₦250,000 each to 1,709 widows and orphans of fallen military personnel, while persons living with disabilities across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory received business grants of ₦200,000 each.
He further highlighted the Renewed Hope Initiative’s partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which provided ₦50,000 grants to 18,500 women nationwide, alongside the distribution of empowerment tools such as industrial grinding machines, freezers and generators.
The presidential aide criticised what he described as an “Olodo uprising” on social media, accusing many commentators of reacting to trending topics without taking time to verify the facts.
“This entire controversy perfectly mirrors what is now happening with the broader ‘Olodo uprising’ across our social platforms. We live in an era where people jump on trending hashtags and soundbites without dedicating a single minute to researching context. Memes are manufactured in seconds; accurate history takes time to read.
“When the critics are done making their superficial memes, writing cynical captions, and circulating ignorant narratives, the reality on the ground will remain unchanged. They would be better off advising their constituents to find credible means to key into these ongoing government initiatives,” he said.
Olusegun rejected claims that supporting petty traders amounted to “weaponising poverty,” arguing instead that such interventions strengthen the country’s grassroots economy.
“According to various economic metrics, the informal sector contributes over 50 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP and accounts for over 80 per cent of employment. The akara fryer, the kulikuli processor and the petty trader are not just marginal actors; they are the literal shock absorbers of our micro-economy.
“When you give a micro-grant or operational tools to an akara seller, you are not validating poverty; you are reducing immediate operational capital friction, securing food chains at the grassroots and expanding household income. Mocking these initiatives as ‘petty’ shows a deep-seated contempt for the actual working class of Nigeria,” he stated.
He also defended the political significance of grassroots empowerment programmes, arguing that such initiatives help build trust between government and ordinary citizens.
Drawing comparisons with the TraderMoni and MarketMoni schemes introduced during former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration under then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Olusegun said similar interventions had directly benefited market traders across the country.
“The opposition often wonders why the poorest segments of the population continually familiarise themselves with the All Progressives Congress during elections. The answer is simple: the party meets them at their point of immediate need,” he said.
Olusegun maintained that Oluremi Tinubu’s record as former First Lady of Lagos State, a three-term senator and now First Lady of the Federation reflects a longstanding commitment to structured empowerment programmes.
“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 time,” he added.