Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has encouraged Nigerians to explore low-cost businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli as a means of earning income.
Her comments were made during a chat with journalists after the second-quarter meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative with the wives of state governors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday.
A video of the interview, later shared by News Channel 247 on Friday, drew mixed reactions across social media platforms, with many users expressing differing opinions about her remarks.
Speaking about the objectives of the Renewed Hope Initiative, the First Lady explained that the programme focuses on supporting vulnerable Nigerians through grants rather than loans, enabling them to establish or expand small businesses without the burden of repayment.
According to her, “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. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant. So we’ve encouraged Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given, and I keep giving.”
Tinubu also highlighted several interventions carried out under the initiative, saying resources have been committed to healthcare, education, agriculture and social investment programmes.
She noted that she had personally contributed significant amounts to support public health campaigns and humanitarian causes.
“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. So those are the things we’ve been doing and making sure we can make sure that whatever this government is trying to do, it will see the light of day,” she said.
Beyond financial support, the First Lady stated that the initiative has also provided scholarships, digital skills training through ICT programmes, agricultural assistance and other empowerment projects aimed at improving livelihoods.
Acknowledging the country’s economic challenges, Tinubu urged Nigerians not to lose hope, insisting that optimism remains central to the administration’s vision.
“The narrative has really changed, has changed to challenge the average man, whereas the average man is supposed to have hope. So I like the idea that Mr President say this is the Renewed Hope Agenda. We have to renew our hope, and that’s how we renew our hope, you know, and that’s what I have to tell Nigerians,” she added.
Her remarks have continued to generate conversations online, with some Nigerians viewing the advice as practical encouragement for entrepreneurship, while others argue it fails to address the broader economic difficulties confronting many households.