Ayinkealagbo Supports Oluremi Tinubu’s Business Start-Up Grants, Urges Nigerians To Embrace Skills Development
OLORUNDARE ENIMOLA, Lagos
The Chief Executive Officer of Ayinkealagbo Herbals and Trado-Medicals, Dr. (Chief) Mrs. Taofikat Ayinke Bello, has thrown her weight behind the business start-up grant initiatives championed by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, describing practical skills acquisition and entrepreneurship support as proven strategies for tackling poverty, unemployment and economic hardship.
Speaking in a public address, Ayinke-Bello said the recent public criticism that followed the First Lady’s remarks on providing grants to indigent women to establish small-scale businesses, including akara production, roasted corn vending, kuli-kuli making and other cottage enterprises, was largely the result of a misunderstanding of the initiative’s objectives.
She expressed regret that what she described as a genuine effort to empower vulnerable Nigerians had attracted criticism instead of public support, insisting that every successful entrepreneur begins with a modest opportunity.
The herbal medicine entrepreneur said her organisation, Educraft Global Impact Initiatives (EGII), has consistently demonstrated the value of skills development through its Educraft Global Creativity Cluster Initiative, a humanitarian programme that provides vocational training, workshops and entrepreneurship development for Nigerians, particularly women and young people.
According to her, the initiative has equipped hundreds of beneficiaries with practical skills and business knowledge, enabling them to pursue careers in emerging industries and establish sustainable sources of income.
Ayinke Bello drew from her personal experience to illustrate the long-term impact of empowerment programmes, recalling that she attended a vocational institution near Eredo in Epe, Lagos State, where she studied Catering and Hotel Management and graduated as the overall best student.
She recounted that during the graduation ceremony, the then First Lady of Lagos State, Chief Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, now Nigeria’s First Lady, presented her with her graduation certificate and provided flour, baking equipment and other essential materials needed to establish a confectionery business.
According to her, the start-up support marked the turning point in her entrepreneurial journey, enabling her to begin producing cakes, pastries and other confectionery products for individuals, corporate organisations and customers across Lagos State and beyond.
She said the business gradually expanded through hard work, determination and perseverance before evolving into Ayinkealagbo Herbals and Trado-Medicals, which now provides employment opportunities and serves numerous clients.
Ayinke Bello stressed that there is dignity in honest labour and urged Nigerians not to underestimate the economic potential of small-scale enterprises.
She argued that entrepreneurship remains one of the most dependable routes to financial independence and often creates broader economic opportunities than reliance on paid employment alone, noting that many globally successful businesses started from humble beginnings.
Describing Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s intervention as the catalyst for her entrepreneurial success, Anyike-Bello expressed gratitude for what she called a life-changing opportunity and identified the First Lady as one of her mentors.
She added that she is among many Nigerians whose lives have been transformed through the First Lady’s encouragement and empowerment initiatives over the years.
The entrepreneur called on women and young people across the country to embrace vocational education, entrepreneurship training and government-backed empowerment programmes, urging beneficiaries to view such interventions not merely as financial assistance but as opportunities to build sustainable businesses, create jobs and improve the socio-economic well-being of their families and communities.
She also advised recipients of business grants to remain disciplined, focused and committed to excellence, expressing confidence that modest enterprises established today could, through perseverance and integrity, grow into nationally and internationally recognised businesses.
Ayinke Bello further appealed to Nigerians to support initiatives that promote self-reliance, skills acquisition and economic empowerment, maintaining that practical vocational training and business start-up assistance remain critical to reducing unemployment, stimulating entrepreneurship and fostering inclusive economic growth across the country.
