A member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has defended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, saying her comments on petty trading encouraged honest work and were widely misunderstood.
ABUJA, NIGERIA — An APC youth supporter has defended Oluremi Tinubu over her recent remarks on petty trading, saying the First Lady never directed Nigerians to sell akara or engage in any single business. According to his comments shared publicly, she only cited small-scale enterprises as examples of legitimate ways beneficiaries could use empowerment support.
The APC youth argued that many critics interpreted the First Lady’s remarks without considering the full context. He said the empowerment grants were not restricted to akara, groundnuts or any other petty trade. According to him, the message focused on encouraging Nigerians, especially women and young people, to embrace lawful businesses capable of generating sustainable income.
Defending the First Lady’s position, he stated that there is dignity in every honest occupation. He added that selling akara or operating any legitimate small business is more respectable than engaging in activities that expose individuals to exploitation or legal problems. According to him, Oluremi Tinubu simply highlighted practical examples of businesses that many Nigerians have successfully built into profitable ventures.
The comments follow widespread reactions on social media after the First Lady encouraged beneficiaries of government support programmes to invest in small businesses. Some users criticised the remarks, while others argued that the advice reflected the realities of entrepreneurship in Nigeria, where many successful business owners started with limited capital before expanding their operations.
The development means the debate over the First Lady’s comments is likely to continue as supporters and critics offer different interpretations of her message. It also draws attention to the broader conversation about youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and the role of government support in helping Nigerians build sustainable sources of income. While opinions remain divided, the APC supporter maintained that the central message was the importance of lawful enterprise and self-reliance rather than promoting any specific business.
