Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, has come to the defence of First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu after her recent comments encouraging Nigerians to consider small-scale businesses sparked criticism.
Speaking during an interview on the Mic On Podcast on Saturday, Dare said many people misunderstood the First Lady’s message, insisting that she was promoting entrepreneurship, self-reliance and the value of honest work rather than suggesting that Nigerians should settle for petty trading.
The controversy followed remarks made by the First Lady on Wednesday at a meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative in Abuja. While addressing participants, she said businesses such as selling akara, roasting corn and producing kuli-kuli require little startup capital. She also explained that the initiative was providing grants, not loans, to help beneficiaries establish such businesses.
Her comments quickly triggered reactions on social media, with many Nigerians arguing that soaring food prices, inflation and fuel costs have made even small businesses expensive to start.
Responding to the backlash, Dare maintained that Nigeria’s informal sector has remained a major pillar of the country’s economy.
“When you look at the informal sector of our country, its resilience continues to lift this economy… You find it predominantly everywhere, and also in the north, they’re also significant,” he said.
Drawing from his personal experience, the presidential aide recounted how his mother supported the family through petty trading.
“Look at me. Wherever I am today, my mother sold akara,” Dare revealed. “Wherever I am today, my mother sold bananas. I carried bananas in a tray on my head to markets in Jos, Plateau State. My mother sold oranges, and through that, they were able to train me.”
He argued that small businesses have long served as a pathway out of poverty and questioned why such ventures are now being dismissed.
“What is wrong with that? If that was right 60 years ago, what is wrong with that now? Because it’s about what capital you have. When you grow these small businesses, you start small,” he stated.
Dare stressed that the First Lady was encouraging Nigerians to develop entrepreneurial skills rather than suggesting they remain in small-scale businesses permanently.
“You must not miss her point, her point is that whatever it is, try and do something, have some level of entrepreneurial skill… The point she is making is, whatever it is, be engaged in some kind of enterprise.”