Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has sparked widespread reactions on social media after encouraging Nigerians to consider small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli as a way to earn a living amid the country’s economic challenges.
Mrs Tinubu made the remarks while speaking with State House correspondents after the second-quarter meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative with wives of state governors at the State House in Abuja. A video of her comments, shared by News Channel 247 on Friday, quickly gained traction online.
Highlighting the activities of the Renewed Hope Initiative, the First Lady said the programme provides grants—not loans—to vulnerable Nigerians to help them establish small businesses.
“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,” she said.
“So we’ve encouraged Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given, and I keep giving.”
Mrs Tinubu said the initiative has also supported projects in healthcare, agriculture, education and social investment.
According to her, the initiative has committed significant funding to critical health interventions, including ₦2 billion to combat tuberculosis, ₦1 billion for breast cancer programmes and ₦500 million to address malnutrition.
“I remember giving for TB. When I heard there were so many TB cases, I gave ₦2 billion. To breast cancer, I gave a billion. For food malnutrition, I gave half a billion,” she said.
She added that the programme has also provided scholarships, ICT training and agricultural support, while urging Nigerians to remain hopeful despite prevailing economic difficulties.
“The narrative has really changed… the average man is supposed to have hope. So I like the idea that Mr President says this is the Renewed Hope Agenda. We have to renew our hope, and that’s what I have to tell Nigerians,” she stated.
Her comments, however, triggered mixed reactions online, with many Nigerians arguing that the advice failed to reflect the depth of the country’s economic hardship.
Some critics described the remarks as disconnected from the realities facing millions of unemployed Nigerians, insisting that citizens were seeking sustainable jobs, lower living costs and improved economic opportunities rather than suggestions to start micro-enterprises.
Others, however, defended the First Lady, arguing that there is dignity in honest work and that businesses such as akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli sales have helped many Nigerians build successful livelihoods over the years.
The exchange has since ignited a broader debate on social media over entrepreneurship, unemployment and the government’s response to Nigeria’s economic challenges.