Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, is facing intense social media criticism after advising citizens to start small-scale businesses like selling roasted corn, akara, or kuli-kuli to survive economic hardships.
Speaking with State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday following a meeting with governors’ wives, she explained that these particular micro-businesses are ideal because they require very little startup capital.
The controversy erupted on Friday after a video of her remarks went viral online via News Channel 247, sparking heated debates among Nigerians over the presidency’s approach to poverty alleviation.
Defending the administration’s efforts, the First Lady emphasized that the Renewed Hope Initiative provides vulnerable citizens with direct, non-repayable financial grants rather than burdensome loans.
“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,” Tinubu stated during the briefing.
She went on to note that she has used her platform to personally fund several massive healthcare and social interventions, including billions of naira directed toward critical medical emergencies.
“I remember giving for TB—when I heard there were so many TB cases, I gave N2 billion; to breast cancer, I gave a billion; for food malnutrition, I gave half a billion,” she shared.
Beyond immediate financial relief and medical aid, the First Lady added that her initiative is actively supporting long-term growth through agricultural tools, ICT training, and educational scholarships across the country.
