By Friday Temitope Eugenia

National News

Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has urged Nigerians to value honest labour, revealing that his mother supported the family by selling akamu (pap) and akara (bean cakes), a sacrifice he said contributed to his success in life.

The minister made the remarks during a one-day training and financial empowerment workshop for widows and wives of military personnel held at Lungi Barracks in Abuja.

The programme, 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 (SMEDAN).

Musa said there is dignity in every legitimate means of earning a living and cautioned against looking down on petty traders.

According to him, his mother’s determination to support the family through the sale of akamu and akara played a significant role in shaping his future.

He also referred to the recent financial support provided by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu to akara sellers and other petty traders, noting that the initiative attracted criticism from some Nigerians.

The Defence Minister said he was surprised by the reactions, stressing that many successful Nigerians came from humble backgrounds and were raised through the hard work of parents engaged in small-scale businesses.

He encouraged participants at the workshop to embrace entrepreneurship, describing it as a reliable pathway to financial independence and family stability.

The empowerment programme is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to improve the welfare of military families by providing entrepreneurial skills and financial support to widows and spouses of serving personnel.