The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has defended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu over criticism of her advice encouraging Nigerians to embrace small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasting corn and producing kuli-kuli.
Speaking on the Mic On Podcast on Saturday, Dare said the First Lady’s remarks were intended to promote entrepreneurship, self-reliance and the dignity of labour, rather than diminish the country’s economic challenges.
The controversy followed Oluremi Tinubu’s comments at a Renewed Hope Initiative meeting in Abuja, where she said starting businesses like akara or roasted corn sales required little capital. She added that the initiative was providing grants, not loans, to help beneficiaries establish such ventures.
Her comments drew widespread criticism on social media, with many Nigerians describing the advice as insensitive amid rising inflation, high food prices and increasing production costs.
Responding to the backlash, Dare argued that Nigeria’s informal sector has remained a major pillar of the country’s economy and has helped many families overcome poverty.
Sharing his personal experience, the presidential aide said his upbringing was made possible through his mother’s petty trading activities.
“Wherever I am today, my mother sold akara. My mother sold bananas. I carried bananas in a tray on my head to markets in Jos, Plateau State. My mother sold oranges, and through that, they were able to train me,” he said.
Dare questioned why occupations that had enabled previous generations to succeed were now being dismissed.
“What is wrong with that? If that was right 60 years ago, what is wrong with that now? Because it’s about what capital you have. When you grow these small businesses, you start small,” he said.
He stressed that the First Lady was encouraging Nigerians to develop entrepreneurial skills and engage in productive ventures, regardless of how modest they may be at the beginning.
“You must not miss her point. Her point is that whatever it is, try and do something, have some level of entrepreneurial skill. The point she is making is, whatever it is, be engaged in some kind of enterprise,” Dare added.
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