The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has sparked intense public backlash after advising low-income Nigerians that starting petty micro-businesses, such as selling akara, roasted corn, and kuli-kuli, does not require significant capital. While defending the current administration’s economic interventions and highlighting financial support provided through direct empowerments rather than loans, the First Lady stated that starting an akara, roasted corn, or kuli-kuli enterprise requires very little money, adding that the government provided grants to encourage citizens as best as they could. She further disclosed that over ₦3 billion has been spent so far on empowering vulnerable Nigerians across the country through these targeted financial grants. However, her remarks heavily angered Nigerians on X (formerly Twitter), where users aggressively slammed the First Lady, pointing out that numerous small businesses and petty traders have completely collapsed under the weight of harsh economic realities, skyrocketing food inflation, and the soaring cost of basic ingredients like beans, oil, and charcoal.
