Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, has urged Nigerians, particularly those struggling with the current economic realities, to embrace small scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli kuli as viable means of earning a living.
The First Lady made the remarks in a video that has since gone viral on social media, where she defended the Federal Government’s intervention programmes aimed at supporting vulnerable Nigerians.
According to her, many businesses require little capital to start, stressing that the government’s support has focused on providing grants rather than loans to encourage entrepreneurship.
“We’re trying to give hope. To start akara business doesn’t take much; to start roasting corn doesn’t take much,” she said.
Mrs Tinubu explained that beneficiaries of the government’s intervention programmes were not saddled with repayment obligations because the support was given as grants.
“We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant,” she stated.
Defending the administration’s efforts to cushion the effects of the country’s economic challenges, the First Lady maintained that the government had continued to support Nigerians within the limits of available resources.
“We have encouraged Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given, and I keep giving,” she added.
Her comments have sparked widespread reactions on social media, with many Nigerians expressing mixed opinions over the suggestion that petty trading could provide relief amid the prevailing economic hardship.
