The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has sparked widespread reactions on social media after encouraging Nigerians to consider small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli as a means of earning a living.
Tinubu made the remarks while addressing State House Correspondents after the second-quarter meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative with the wives of state governors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday. A video of her comments was shared by News Channel 247 on Friday.
Speaking on the initiative’s efforts to empower vulnerable Nigerians, the First Lady said beneficiaries received grants—not loans—to help them establish small businesses.
“We’re trying to give hope, and to start an akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn, or somebody even said kuli-kuli, doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant.
“So we’ve encouraged Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given, and I keep giving,” she said.
Tinubu also highlighted the Renewed Hope Initiative’s interventions in healthcare, education, agriculture and social investment, noting that she donated N2 billion to support tuberculosis treatment, N1 billion for breast cancer interventions and N500 million to combat malnutrition.
“I remember giving for TB. When I heard there were so many TB cases, I gave N2 billion. To breast cancer, I gave a billion. For food malnutrition, I gave half a billion. Those are the things we’ve been doing to ensure whatever this government is trying to do sees the light of day,” she added.
She further disclosed that the initiative had provided scholarships, ICT training and support for agricultural and social investment programmes, urging Nigerians to remain hopeful despite the country’s economic challenges.
“The narrative has changed to challenge the average man, whereas the average man is supposed to have hope. That’s why I like the Renewed Hope Agenda. We have to renew our hope, and that’s what I have to tell Nigerians,” she said.
Her comments, however, generated mixed reactions online, with many Nigerians criticising the remarks as being out of touch with the country’s economic realities.
An X user, @ADCVanguard_, described the comments as evidence of “how disconnected Nigeria’s ruling class has become from the reality of ordinary citizens.”
Another user, @ireteeh, compared the initiative with private-sector empowerment programmes, arguing that while government was encouraging petty trading, private individuals were equipping people with digital skills capable of building long-term careers.
Similarly, @firstladyship wrote, “Nigerians are in big trouble. There is fire on the mountain, but the people are tired of running.”
Others, however, defended the First Lady, insisting there was dignity and profitability in such businesses.
A user, @Akikanju1568901, argued that akara remains one of Nigeria’s most lucrative low-capital ventures, saying many families had built wealth and trained their children through the trade.
Another user, @PemiOladapo, urged Nigerians not to look down on local businesses, saying they could be scaled into successful enterprises.
While acknowledging the legitimacy of the businesses, @TossynBankz_ argued that the criticism stemmed from the country’s harsh economic conditions rather than the nature of the trades.
“The problem is that Nigerians are asking for a better economy, more jobs and lower prices. Telling people to start selling akara in this situation just feels like the government doesn’t understand what people are going through,” the user wrote.
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