The Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has defended the recent statement by First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on empowering Nigerians to explore small-scale businesses such as akara, roasted corn, and kuli-kuli, which require little capital.
the First Lady, while speaking with journalists in a video that is making rounds online, explained the administration’s support for small businesses through grants rather than loans.
However, her comment angered many netizens, who argued that the remarks were insulting and failed to reflect or address the economic challenges facing many Nigerians.
Speaking against the backdrop of this development during an interview with Seun Okinbaloye on the Mic On podcast, Dare revealed that his mother trained him by selling bananas and oranges in Jos, Plateau State.
He added that he himself hawked the fruits in the Jos markets.
He argued that the resilience of Nigeria’s small-scale businesses continues to lift the country’s economy.
The presidential media aide submitted that the First Lady’s point was simply an encouragement for people to have some level of entrepreneurial skill and not remain idle.
According to him, if his own mother could do that sixty years ago and train him successfully, there is nothing wrong with what the First Lady said.
“My mother sold akara and bananas. I carried bananas on the trays on my head to the market in Jos. My mother sold oranges, and through this, they were able to train me,” the media aide said.
See the video.
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