Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has expressed concern over the rising influence of misleading messages from movies, social media, and religious organizations, which she believes are fueling the get-rich-quick mentality and contributing to the country’s high rate of human trafficking.
Speaking on Friday, February 7, during a visit from the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Bello, and top agency officials at the State House in Abuja, Mrs. Tinubu pledged her support for the fight against human trafficking.
“The get-rich-quick syndrome is not helping matters,” she stated. “Even our religious institutions are promoting prosperity preaching, and yet the Bible itself emphasizes the importance of work. Social media is also contributing to the problem, and Nollywood as well.”
Senior Special Assistant to the First Lady on Media, Busola Kukoyi, issued a statement titled ‘First Lady reiterates call for re-orientation for hard work and patience,’ highlighting Mrs. Tinubu’s concerns about how skewed messages are shaping the mindset of Nigerian youths.
During the briefing, the First Lady was informed about NAPTIP’s recent operations, including a raid on a baby factory in Abuja where 19 pregnant young girls were rescued. She urged young Nigerians to reject illegal shortcuts to wealth and instead embrace patience and hard work.
“Youths need to stop making themselves easy targets for traffickers and criminally minded individuals,” she advised. “Hard work and patience are virtues that must be upheld.”
Mrs. Tinubu reaffirmed her commitment to supporting NAPTIP in its mission to combat human trafficking and protect vulnerable individuals from exploitation.
