Presidency defends First Lady’s remark: Selling akara and roasted corn is fine

The presidency has defended First Lady Remi Tinubu’s comments encouraging Nigerians to pursue small‑scale businesses such as selling bean cake (akara) and roasted corn.

During an interview on the Mic‑On podcast, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, recalled that he sold akara and bananas for his mother while he was a child.

The First Lady’s remarks drew criticism from some Nigerians, who urged her to establish such businesses for members of her family.

In response, the presidential spokesman said, “My mother sold akara, bananas and oranges in Jos, Plateau State, and through this, they were able to train me. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

He added, “When you look at the informal sector of our country, its resilience continues to sustain this economy.”

He continued, “It’s because of these small‑scale entrepreneurs—those who sell akara and kuli‑kuli, which you find everywhere, including in the North—that the economy remains significant.”

He concluded, “You must not miss the First Lady’s point. Her point is that whatever it is, try and do something, have some level of entrepreneurial skill.”