First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has sparked widespread reactions on social media following comments suggesting that Nigerians could venture into small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli.
The remarks, made during the second-quarter meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative with wives of state governors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, have generated debate among Nigerians, with critics and supporters offering differing perspectives on the issue.
According to The Punch, Tinubu made the comments while explaining how the initiative supports vulnerable citizens through grants designed to help them start businesses rather than loans.
“We’re trying to give hope, and to start 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,” she said.
The statement quickly drew attention on X, where several users argued that the government should focus on addressing economic hardship, creating jobs and reducing the cost of living instead of encouraging petty trading.
One user, @ADCVanguard_, said the remarks reflected “exactly how disconnected Nigeria’s ruling class has become from the reality of ordinary citizens.”
Also reacting, @ireteeh contrasted the initiative with private-sector empowerment efforts, stating, “The First Lady is empowering people with akara, corn, and kuli-kuli, while an ordinary citizen with limited resources is equipping people to build thriving careers in cybersecurity.”
In a similar reaction, @firstladyship wrote, “Nigerians are in big trouble. There is fire on the mountain but the people are tired of running.”
However, some social media users defended the First Lady’s comments, arguing that small businesses remain a legitimate path to financial success and self-reliance.
Among them was @Akikanju1568901, who described akara as “one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria,” adding that many people had used income from the trade to build homes, purchase vehicles and sponsor their children’s education.
Likewise, @PemiOladapo maintained that there was value in such ventures, writing, “There’s dignity in labour… these are our local snacks! People should start it and scale it!”
Offering a broader perspective on the controversy, @TossynBankz_ suggested that the criticism stemmed more from the country’s economic challenges than from the businesses themselves.
“Nobody is mocking akara, roasted corn, or kuli-kuli. Those are honest businesses. 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.”
Beyond discussing small-business grants, the First Lady highlighted other projects undertaken through the Renewed Hope Initiative. She said the programme had donated N2 billion toward the fight against tuberculosis, N1 billion for breast cancer interventions and N500 million to tackle malnutrition.
Tinubu also noted that the initiative had supported programmes in agriculture, education, ICT and social investment, while urging Nigerians to remain optimistic despite the nation’s economic difficulties.
