Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has dismissed mounting criticism over her recent remarks encouraging Nigerians to engage in small-scale businesses such as frying akara and roasting corn, declaring that no amount of public backlash will deter her from empowering grassroots women entrepreneurs across the country. Speaking on Monday, June 29, 2026, in Hadejia, Jigawa State, during the inauguration of the newly constructed Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall at the Emir of Hadejia's Palace, the First Lady announced a ₦200 million empowerment package for 2,000 women petty traders, with each beneficiary receiving ₦50,000 to expand and sustain their businesses.
The announcement came just days after a video of Senator Tinubu's earlier remarks at the State House in Abuja went viral on social media, sparking a fierce national debate. In that video, recorded on Wednesday, June 24, following the second-quarter meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative with the wives of state governors, the First Lady had said: "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. We have encouraged Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given, and I keep giving." The remarks were met with widespread criticism, with many Nigerians accusing the First Lady of being disconnected from the harsh economic realities facing ordinary citizens.
Addressing the criticism directly in Hadejia, Senator Tinubu stood her ground. "Criticism will not stop me from empowering akara sellers and other women traders," she declared. "I heard people talking about akara sellers. It is not only akara sellers. We are supporting tomato sellers, maize sellers, vegetable sellers and many other petty traders. Our goal is to help women grow their businesses and become financially independent."
The ₦200 million package for Jigawa State forms part of the First Lady's broader efforts to support women-led micro-enterprises across Nigeria through the Renewed Hope Initiative. The First Lady also emphasised that the support is not a loan but a grant, intended to help women expand their businesses without the burden of repayment.
In defending the First Lady, Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, described the backlash as a "performative circus of selective amnesia," arguing that critics had ignored several other interventions carried out through the Renewed Hope Initiative, including the donation of ₦1 billion to the National Cancer Fund for cervical cancer screening, another ₦1 billion for tuberculosis diagnostic equipment, ₦250,000 each to 1,709 widows and orphans of fallen military personnel, and ₦200,000 business grants to persons living with disabilities across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Senator Tinubu also used the occasion to highlight the administration's broader interventions in healthcare, education and agriculture, urging Nigerians not to lose hope despite the country's economic challenges. "We are a very proud nation, and that's what I have to tell Nigerians. Make dem no give up," she said.
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