A well-known Nigerian politician and presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has fulfilled a promise he made to a young female entrepreneur who was unable to afford an oven for her baking business. The encounter occurred during a press conference held after the declaration of his political opponent, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as president-elect. At the press conference, Mr. Obi recounted his conversation with the entrepreneur, Ms. Gimba Sophia Emmanuel, who graduated in 2018 and expressed her inability to purchase an oven for her business. Mr. Obi was moved to tears as he wondered how a graduate could be unable to afford an oven in a country like Nigeria.
Several days later, the presidential candidate, who is currently in court challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the ruling party APC, fulfilled his promise to the young lady by providing financial assistance. A photo of the pair standing with a check of an undisclosed amount held out for the camera was shared by Mr. Obi on social media.
In his post, Mr. Obi stated that he had fulfilled his pledge to assist Ms. Emmanuel in her aspiration to acquire an oven and start her baking and confectionery business. He also revealed that she had expressed an interest in purchasing a Nigerian-made oven, which would enhance the value chain and contribute to the production to consumption mantra. The gesture by Mr. Obi has been commended by many Nigerians, who see it as an example of leadership that prioritizes the needs of ordinary citizen.
It would be recalled that during a press conference following the declaration of his political opponent, Bola Ahmed Tinubu [/b]as president-elect, Peter Obi had narrated his encounter with the young entrepreneur.
He had revealed that the entrepreneur, Ms. Gimba Sophia Emmanuel, who graduated in 2018 had told him that she had been unable to purchase an oven for her business.
While recounting his chat with the lady, he had been moved to tears as he wondered how badly the state of Nigeria has become that a graduate couldn’t afford to get herself an oven for her business.
Mr Peter Obi wrote:
“Today, I fulfilled my pledge to assist Ms Gimba Sophia Emmanuel in her aspiration to acquire an oven and start her baking and confectionery business. Interestingly, she had indicated that she would procure a Nigerian made oven, thus enhancing the value chain and putting into effect the production to consumption mantra.
#PeterObi 🇳🇬”
