‘It Is Better To Help Rich People’ — Opeyemi Famakin Explains Controversial Take on Giving

Media personality and food critic Opeyemi Famakin has sparked debate after explaining why he believes helping financially comfortable people can sometimes be more beneficial than helping those who have little or nothing.

Famakin argued that repeatedly giving money to people who are struggling financially can sometimes create a sense of entitlement, with beneficiaries eventually viewing their benefactor as a permanent source of financial assistance.

According to him, Nigerians have developed a mindset he described as “my helper”, where receiving help from someone repeatedly can create an expectation that the person should continue providing financial support whenever there is a need.

“Nigerians have created something called ‘my helper.’ Once you help someone, they see you as, ‘Oh, this person is my helper. When I need something, this person is the person that I can always run to,’” he said.

Famakin further claimed that when such financial support is eventually withdrawn, some beneficiaries may react negatively because they have become accustomed to receiving assistance.

“When you give them free, and you stop giving them, they will start misbehaving. I believe it is better to help people who already have than to help those who have nothing,” he added.

The food critic supported his argument with an experience involving a staff member whom he said he had assisted financially on several occasions.

Famakin explained that despite repeatedly helping the staff member, including increasing his salary, the individual continued to return to him for additional financial support.

He contrasted this with helping people who are already financially comfortable, arguing that such individuals may be less likely to immediately depend on the person who helped them.

“When you help a rich person, you are less likely to physically get something from that person immediately, but the person will pay you back. There will be goodwill, they can do things for you, they will be nice to you,” he said.

Famakin argued that the difference lies in the expectations created by the assistance, suggesting that helping someone who is already financially stable may result in goodwill or future opportunities, while repeatedly assisting someone in financial difficulty could create a long-term expectation of support.

“But the reality is that I help a poor man and he creates a ‘my helper’ because I helped this person. Because I dashed a poor person money 10 years ago, this guy will still come back,” he said.

Acknowledging that his position could be controversial, particularly in a country where many people struggle with the rising cost of living and widespread economic hardship, Famakin maintained that he stood by his opinion.

“I said what I said, and I stand by those words,” he added.