A coalition of youth leaders has defended Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, amid the controversy surrounding her recent comments encouraging women to engage in small-scale businesses such as selling akara, kuli-kuli and boli.
Responding to the backlash that followed the First Lady’s remarks, the youth leaders argued that there is dignity in honest labour, regardless of the scale of the business.
“It is better for our mothers and girls to be selling akara, kuli-kuli and boli than to be doing sugar mummy,” the group said in a statement, insisting that legitimate entrepreneurship should not be ridiculed.
The comments come after the First Lady faced widespread criticism over her suggestion that businesses such as selling akara (bean cakes), roasted corn and kuli-kuli require relatively little capital to start. Mrs Tinubu made the remarks while highlighting the Federal Government’s empowerment initiatives, explaining that beneficiaries receive grants rather than loans to establish small businesses.
Her comments sparked mixed reactions across the country, with critics arguing that the advice did not adequately reflect the economic challenges confronting many Nigerians. Others, however, defended the remarks, saying the First Lady was encouraging self-reliance and promoting the dignity of labour.
The Presidency has also defended Mrs Tinubu, maintaining that her message was intended to encourage entrepreneurship and support for small-scale enterprises rather than limit the aspirations of young Nigerians. Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare said the remarks had been misunderstood, noting that many families have built sustainable livelihoods through informal businesses.
Mrs Tinubu has since clarified that her empowerment programme extends beyond akara and kuli-kuli traders to include women involved in other small businesses such as selling tomatoes, vegetables, pepper and roasted plantain (boli). She said the Renewed Hope Initiative is designed to support a broad range of low-income entrepreneurs through grants and other interventions.
The debate continues to generate public discussion over the role of small-scale enterprises in addressing unemployment and economic hardship, with supporters emphasising the value of honest work while critics call for broader economic opportunities and job creation.
