Remi Tinubu's Small Business Advice on Akara, Corn Triggers Public Outcry

Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has ignited a storm of controversy across social media following her recent comments encouraging citizens to explore small-scale ventures like selling akara, roasted corn, and kuli-kuli, highlighting their minimal startup capital requirements. The remarks, which were made while addressing State House Correspondents in Abuja after the Renewed Hope Initiative's second-quarter meeting with state governors' wives on Wednesday, quickly went viral after a video was shared by News Channel 247 on Friday.

Mrs. Tinubu's statements came as she elaborated on the Renewed Hope Initiative's efforts to provide assistance to vulnerable Nigerians through grants designed to facilitate business startups, rather than loans. She was quoted saying, "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. So we’ve encouraged Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given, and I keep giving."

Beyond business empowerment, the First Lady detailed the Initiative's broader support across critical sectors including healthcare, agriculture, education, and social investment. She revealed significant donations, including N2 billion dedicated to combating tuberculosis, N1 billion for breast cancer interventions, and N500 million allocated to address 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. So those are the things we’ve been doing and making sure we can make sure that whatever this government is trying to do, it will see the light of day," she affirmed. Additionally, she mentioned the provision of scholarships, ICT training, and support for agricultural and social investment programmes.

In her address, Mrs. Tinubu urged Nigerians to maintain optimism despite the nation's current economic challenges. She stated, "The narrative has really changed, has changed to challenge the average man, whereas the average man is supposed to have hope. So I like the idea that Mr President say this is the Renewed Hope Agenda. We have to renew our hope, and that’s how we renew our hope, you know, and that’s what I have to tell Nigerians."

However, her suggestions quickly drew a wave of criticism on social media platforms, with many Nigerians accusing the First Lady of downplaying the severe economic difficulties faced by ordinary citizens. An X user, @ADCVanguard_, commented that the video clearly demonstrated "exactly how disconnected Nigeria’s ruling class has become from the reality of ordinary citizens." Another user, @ireteeh, drew a comparison, noting, "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." Nefertiti, identified as @firstladyship, expressed concern, tweeting, "Nigerians are in big trouble. There is fire on the mountain but the people are tired of running."

Conversely, some users on X came to the First Lady's defense, arguing that her encouragement towards such businesses was entirely appropriate. @Akikanju1568901 highlighted akara as "one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria," citing its low startup cost and high profit potential, and stating that "akara sellers sent many kids… to universities, built houses, bought cars." Similarly, @PemiOladapo asserted, "There’s dignity in labour… these are our local snacks! People should start it and scale it!" Yet, @TossynBankz_ offered a different perspective, suggesting the criticism was less about the businesses themselves and more about the timing. "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," the user wrote.