The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has defended the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, following the widespread backlash that trailed her advice for Nigerians to venture into low-capital businesses like selling akara, roasting corn, and making ‘kuli-kuli’.
Speaking in defence of the First Lady during an interview on Mic On Podcast on Saturday, Dare shared his own personal history as the child of a petty trader, arguing that critics are entirely missing the point of her message, which was centred on micro-enterprise, self-reliance, and the dignity of labour.
The controversy began on Wednesday during a Renewed Hope Initiative meeting in Abuja, where Tinubu remarked that starting an akara or roasted corn business “doesn’t take a lot of money.”
She added that the initiative provided direct financial grants rather than loans to support beneficiaries looking to establish such setups.
The remarks drew sharp criticism online from citizens who labelled them as “out-of-touch” given the skyrocketing costs of food inputs, fuel, and inflation.
Reacting to the public outcry, Dare argued that the informal economy remains the backbone of Nigeria’s resilience, saying, “When you look at the informal sector of our country, its resilience continues to lift this economy… You find it predominantly everywhere, and also in the north, they’re also significant.”
He warned citizens against looking down on small-scale trades that have historically lifted families out of poverty.
“Look at me. Wherever I am today, my mother sold akara,” Dare revealed. “Wherever I am today, 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 also questioned why an economic survival model that worked for older generations should be ridiculed by contemporary youths.
“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 stated.
Dare concluded by noting that the First Lady’s message was not to relegate youths to petty trading forever, but to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset.
“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.”
