Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, has defended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu following criticism of her remarks encouraging Nigerians to start small businesses like selling akara, roasted corn, and kuli-kuli. Dare shared his personal story during an appearance on the Mic On Podcast on Saturday, revealing that his mother sold akara, bananas, and oranges to raise him, and he hawked bananas as a child to fund his education.
First Lady's Remarks Spark Controversy
The controversy began after Senator Oluremi Tinubu addressed beneficiaries of the Renewed Hope Initiative in Abuja on Wednesday. She stated that businesses like selling akara or roasted corn require relatively little capital and noted that the initiative provides grants, not loans, to help beneficiaries start small enterprises. Her comments quickly sparked reactions on social media, with many Nigerians arguing that the cost of food items, cooking oil, fuel, and other essential inputs has risen sharply, making even small-scale businesses expensive to start and sustain.
Dare's Personal Testimony
Responding to the backlash, Dare said: "Look at me. Wherever I am today, my mother sold akara. 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 insisted that the First Lady's message was about entrepreneurship and self-reliance, not suggesting petty trading as the ultimate solution to Nigeria's economic challenges.
Informal Sector Resilience
Dare argued that Nigeria's informal sector remains one of the biggest drivers of the economy, providing livelihoods for millions despite difficult economic conditions. "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 said. He stressed that many successful Nigerians have humble beginnings rooted in informal trading, and there should be no shame in starting small.
Entrepreneurship Over Shame
According to Dare, the First Lady was not asking young Nigerians to remain petty traders forever but to develop entrepreneurial skills and create legitimate sources of income. "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," he stated. The debate continues online, with supporters highlighting the importance of entrepreneurship and critics pointing to high inflation and rising operating costs that make small businesses harder to build today than decades ago.
