The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.) has urged Nigerians not to look down on petty traders, revealing that his mother sold akamu and akara to support the family during his childhood.
His comments at a one-day training and financial empowerment workshop for widows and wives of service personnel at Lungi Barracks in Abuja came weeks after the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu revealed that she provided financial support to akara sellers and other petty traders, a move that generated mixed reactions.
Reflecting on the criticism, the minister shared his personal experience to underscore the dignity of honest work and the importance of entrepreneurship.
‘A few weeks ago, the First Lady, the mother of the nation, contributed some amount for akara sellers and others, and I was surprised by the reactions from some citizens. Standing here today as the Minister of Defence, my mother sold akamu. It was through that business that she supported our family and contributed to where I am today. I am very proud that my mother supported my father by selling akara and akamu. Don’t let anybody make you feel that selling akara and akamu is beneath your dignity’, he said.
Musa said that his mother’s determination and commitment to supporting the family through small-scale trading played a significant role in his journey to public service.
He encouraged participants at the workshop to embrace entrepreneurship as a means of improving their livelihoods and achieving financial independence.
The empowerment programme was designed to equip widows and wives of military personnel with entrepreneurial skills and financial support as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve the welfare of Armed Forces families and promote enterprise development.
The workshop, themed “Renewed Hope for Families of the Armed Forces of Nigeria Through Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development”, was organised by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria.
