Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has defended her recent comments encouraging low-income Nigerians to embrace small businesses such as frying akara, roasting corn and producing kuli-kuli, insisting that the Federal Government will continue supporting petty traders despite public criticism.
Her initial remarks, made during an interaction with journalists in Abuja on June 25, sparked widespread reactions, with many Nigerians arguing that the government should focus on creating modern, technology-driven jobs rather than promoting small-scale trading.
Addressing the controversy during an official engagement in Jigawa State on Monday, June 29, Mrs. Tinubu dismissed the criticism, saying her comments were aimed at encouraging grassroots entrepreneurship and supporting Nigerians with limited capital.
She explained that the government’s empowerment programme is not limited to akara sellers but also covers traders dealing in tomatoes, pepper, vegetables, roasted plantains and other everyday commodities.
According to the First Lady, the Federal Government has already disbursed ₦100 million in grants to support about 2,000 petty traders, with each beneficiary receiving ₦50,000 to expand their businesses.
“I’ve told Her Excellency that we’ve already given, donated about ₦100 million to her to use to empower 2,000 petty traders.
“And I know they’ve been talking that I said akara. It’s not only akara, we also have tomato sellers. We have bole, and those also selling pepper and vegetables for us in the market.
“We will continue to empower them and add to their resources so that their trade can really be sustainable. So that is what we are doing,” she said.
Mrs. Tinubu maintained that the backlash would not discourage the government from continuing its empowerment initiatives.
“I know all those people who are affected; they do appreciate it. And we are not intimidated by all those wrong reports. But we are forging ahead and making sure that our people are well cared for,” she added.
The First Lady also urged young Nigerians to look beyond crude oil and explore the country’s abundant natural resources and economic opportunities.
“Nigeria is a really blessed country. I’ve been travelling, and I pray that our young people will see the resources we have in this nation. We have not even gone to explore yet because we are thinking it’s oil. But there are so many things,” she said.
