Presidential media aide, Sunday Dare, has defended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s recent call on Nigerians to embrace small-scale entrepreneurship, revealing that his own mother sold akara and fruits to fund his education while he hawked bananas as a child.
Dare made the remarks during an appearance on the Mic On Podcast hosted by broadcaster Seun Okinbaloye, where he argued that there is dignity in starting small and that many successful Nigerians were raised through proceeds from modest businesses.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications said the First Lady’s comments were intended to encourage self-reliance rather than belittle Nigerians facing economic hardship.
Responding to questions about Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s advice urging Nigerians to consider businesses such as frying akara, roasting corn and producing kuli-kuli, Dare said the country’s informal sector remains one of the strongest drivers of the economy.
“So when you look at the informal sector of our country, which is resilient and continues to lift this economy, it is also because of these small-scale entrepreneurs, those that sell akara, those that sell corn, because we find them predominantly everywhere and also in the North, where they are significant,” he said.
According to him, the essence of the First Lady’s message was that Nigerians should actively seek productive means of earning a living, regardless of how small the business may seem.
“A point you must not miss is that, whatever it is, try and do something, have some level of entrepreneurial skill,” he added.
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Sharing his personal story, Dare recalled that his late mother financed his education through petty trading while he also contributed to the family’s livelihood as a child.
“Look at me, wherever I am today, my mother sold akara. Wherever I am today, my mother sold bananas. I carried bananas on a tray on my head to markets in Jos, Plateau State.
My mother sold oranges and through that, they were able to train me. What is wrong with that?” he asked.
He argued that the value of honest labour has not changed over time, insisting that every successful business starts from somewhere.
“If that was right 60 years ago, what is wrong with that now? Because it is about what capital you have. When you grow these small businesses, you start small,” he said.
Dare also referenced the rise of Africa’s richest businessman, Aliko Dangote, saying the billionaire’s journey demonstrated that great enterprises often begin as small trading ventures.
“Go and read Dangote’s story, where he started from. He also started like a trader. So the point she is making is, whatever it is, be engaged in some kind of enterprise,” he said.
The First Lady recently sparked widespread debate after encouraging Nigerians, particularly women and young people, to embrace small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasting corn and producing kuli-kuli as pathways to economic empowerment and self-sufficiency.
While many critics argued that citizens battling inflation, unemployment and rising living costs expected broader economic reforms rather than advice to engage in petty trading, supporters maintained that her remarks underscored the importance of entrepreneurship and the role of the informal sector in sustaining livelihoods across the country.