Weeks after sparking widespread criticism with her suggestion that Nigerians could embrace small businesses such as selling akara to earn a living, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has again returned to the subject, this time citing the success story of a university graduate whose akara business now employs more than 12 workers.
The First Lady’s earlier remarks, made under the Renewed Hope Initiative’s economic empowerment programme, had triggered an uproar across social media and among critics, who argued that encouraging graduates to sell roadside snacks reflected the country’s worsening unemployment crisis rather than a sustainable economic policy.
Despite the backlash, Mrs Tinubu on Saturday defended the viability of small-scale enterprises while speaking at the launch of the National Community Food Bank in Kogi State.
She recounted how a graduate who reportedly turned to selling akara after failing to secure paid employment was quietly supported by her office, enabling him to expand the business and create jobs.
“There was once I read an article about a young graduate who said he didn’t get a job. He said he sells akara because he couldn’t get a job. We approached him, but I didn’t put my name to it. We equipped him more, and now he has 12 workers working under him, and he’s doing very well,” she said.
Using the entrepreneur’s experience to reinforce her message, the First Lady argued that micro-enterprises could become profitable ventures capable of generating employment if properly supported.
She listed businesses such as selling pepper, vegetables, okra, melon, akara and kuli-kuli as examples of modest enterprises that could provide sustainable livelihoods for many Nigerians.
Mrs Tinubu also called on affluent Nigerians, particularly entertainers, to expand their charitable activities and complement government efforts to tackle poverty.
She pointed to Senegalese-American singer Akon as an example of philanthropy and urged Nigerian music stars, including Asake, Burna Boy and Davido, to establish charitable foundations or strengthen existing initiatives aimed at supporting vulnerable citizens.
While noting that there was nothing wrong with owning luxury cars, she maintained that wealthy Nigerians should devote part of their resources to helping less privileged citizens, stressing that government alone could not address the country’s social and economic challenges.
Her renewed emphasis on the akara business is likely to revive debate over the administration’s messaging on youth unemployment and economic hardship, especially after her earlier comments drew widespread condemnation from Nigerians who argued that the country’s growing number of graduates deserved access to quality jobs rather than encouragement to embrace subsistence trading.