The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has defended First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu following the public criticism that greeted her recent comments encouraging Nigerians to embrace small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli.
Dare, while speaking during an interview on the Mic On Podcast on Saturday, said critics had misunderstood the First Lady’s message, insisting that her remarks were aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, self-reliance and the dignity of labour rather than encouraging permanent engagement in petty trading.
The controversy began after Senator Oluremi Tinubu addressed beneficiaries of the Renewed Hope Initiative in Abuja on Wednesday, where she said starting businesses such as selling akara or roasted corn required relatively little capital.
She explained that the initiative was providing direct financial grants—not loans—to support beneficiaries interested in establishing such small businesses.
However, the remarks sparked widespread criticism across social media, with many Nigerians arguing that they were disconnected from the country’s harsh economic realities, rising food prices, soaring fuel costs and persistent inflation.
Responding to the backlash, Dare said the informal sector has continued to play a critical role in sustaining Nigeria’s economy despite prevailing economic challenges.
According to him, millions of Nigerians have relied on small businesses over the years to survive and build successful lives.
He maintained that there should be no shame in engaging in legitimate small-scale enterprises capable of generating income and supporting families.
Sharing his personal experience, Dare revealed that his upbringing was shaped by his mother’s petty trading business.
“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 said.
The presidential aide argued that many successful Nigerians today were raised through proceeds from similar informal businesses and questioned why such occupations should now be ridiculed.
What is wrong with that? If that was right 60 years ago, what is wrong with that now? Because it’s about what capital you have. When you grow these small businesses, you start small, he stated.
Dare stressed that the First Lady was not suggesting that Nigerians should remain petty traders permanently but was encouraging citizens, especially young people, to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset regardless of the size of the business.
According to him, every successful enterprise begins with a small step, and individuals should take advantage of available opportunities to create sustainable 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 added.
His remarks have further fueled public debate over the First Lady’s comments, with supporters arguing that entrepreneurship remains a practical pathway to economic empowerment, while critics maintain that the government’s focus should be on creating an enabling environment that makes small businesses easier to establish and sustain amid Nigeria’s current economic challenges.
