The Presidency has defended recent remarks by First Lady Oluremi Tinubu encouraging Nigerians to consider small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli as a means of earning a living.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, said there was nothing demeaning about engaging in honest businesses, stressing that many successful Nigerians were raised through such ventures.
Dare said his mother sold akara, bananas and oranges to support the family, while he also hawked the items as a child in Jos, Plateau State.
According to him, those efforts enabled his parents to train their children.
He explained that the First Lady’s comments were intended to encourage entrepreneurship and self-reliance, particularly for people seeking businesses that require little start-up capital.
The presidential aide maintained that the First Lady’s remarks should not be interpreted as belittling Nigerians but as an appeal for people to explore legitimate means of livelihood while benefiting from government empowerment programmes.
His comments come after the First Lady faced criticism over her suggestion that businesses such as akara frying, roasted corn and kuli-kuli production could provide income opportunities for Nigerians.
The remarks have continued to generate mixed reactions, with some Nigerians describing them as practical advice on entrepreneurship, while others argued they failed to reflect the country’s prevailing economic realities.
