First Lady Faces Backlash Over Akara, Corn, Kuli-Kuli Business Advice

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has come under criticism on social media after encouraging Nigerians to consider small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli, saying they require little capital to start.

Tinubu made the remarks while addressing State House correspondents after the Renewed Hope Initiative’s second-quarter meeting with the wives of state governors at the State House, Abuja.

Speaking on the efforts of the Renewed Hope Initiative to support vulnerable Nigerians through grants and other interventions, Tinubu said beneficiaries were given grants, not loans, to enable them to start businesses via a video that has gone viral on social media.

She was heard saying, “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,” she said.

The First Lady said the initiative had also supported interventions in healthcare, agriculture, education and social investment.

She disclosed that she donated N2 billion to combat tuberculosis, N1 billion for breast cancer interventions and N500 million to tackle malnutrition.

Tinubu added that the initiative had also provided scholarships, ICT training and support for agriculture and social investment programmes.

She urged Nigerians not to lose hope despite the country’s economic challenges.

The remarks, however, triggered swift reactions across social media, with many Nigerians accusing the First Lady of trivialising the economic hardship facing ordinary citizens.

On X, user Mykel Bishop argued that even an akara business is no longer cheap to start because the prices of beans, cooking oil and gas have risen sharply with inflation. He added that while grants are helpful, high inflation quickly erodes their value, calling for lower production costs to help small traders survive and grow.

Another X user, Queen B (@D3f_ulty), questioned the advice, asking whether wealthy politicians built their fortunes by roasting corn, adding that privileged people often give unrealistic advice.

Also reacting, Enteleky (@blastc4) described the remarks as disappointing and urged young Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of future elections.

However, some social media users defended the First Lady, insisting there was nothing wrong with encouraging Nigerians to embrace small-scale businesses.

A user, @Akikanju1568901, said akara is one of the most profitable small businesses in Nigeria, noting that many families have built homes, trained children through school and achieved financial stability through the trade.

Another user, @TossynBankz_argued that the criticism was not about the businesses themselves but about the country’s economic situation.

“Nobody is mocking akara, roasted corn, or kuli-kuli. Those are honest businesses. The problem is that Nigerians are asking for a better economy, more jobs, and lower prices. Telling people to start selling akara in this situation just feels like the government doesn’t understand what people are going through,” the user wrote.