Controversial Nigerian singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has come to the defence of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu over her recent remarks encouraging Nigerians to embrace small-scale businesses such as selling akara and roasted corn.
Speaking during a recent episode of The Honest Bunch Podcast, the street-hop artiste argued that many Nigerians misunderstood the First Lady’s message, insisting there was nothing wrong with advising unemployed citizens to start petty trading as a means of earning a living.
According to Portable, several successful Nigerians were raised by parents who financed their education and upbringing through small businesses, adding that such ventures should not be looked down upon.
“Nigerians misunderstood what Remi Tinubu meant. If you look at many wealthy people in this country, their mothers trained them by selling pepper and roasted corn,” he said.
The singer further claimed that petty trading can be highly profitable, recalling that he once saw a roasted corn seller in London who drove a luxury Mercedes-Benz.
“When I went to London, I even saw someone selling corn while using a Benz,” Portable added.
The singer’s comments come amid the ongoing debate surrounding the First Lady’s remarks made under the Renewed Hope Initiative, where she encouraged Nigerian women to consider businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli because they require relatively little capital to start.
Her comments sparked widespread criticism on social media, with many Nigerians describing them as insensitive given the country’s worsening economic conditions and rising cost of living.
The conversation gained renewed attention last week when President Bola Tinubu jokingly referred to his wife as “Iya Alakara” during the Presidential Press Corps Dinner at the State House in Abuja.
In a video shared by Aso Rock TV, the President introduced the First Lady with the nickname while acknowledging dignitaries and members of the press, drawing laughter from guests at the event.
Portable, however, believes the criticism directed at the First Lady is misplaced, maintaining that small businesses have transformed the lives of countless Nigerian families and remain a legitimate path to financial success.