Nigeria's First Lady Oluremi Tinubu backs small‑business grants for women amid backlash

First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu urged Nigerians to pursue modest food enterprises such as akara, kuli‑kuli and roasted corn, describing them as viable livelihoods. The government’s Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) provides ₦50,000 grants to 2,000 petty traders, along with modern equipment, hygiene training, product certification and market‑linkage support. According to Senior Special Assistant Tunde Rahman, participants have seen income gains of 40‑60 % within three months, and the programme aims to move vendors “from the roadside to registered sellers; from subsistence to scale.”

The comments sparked widespread criticism on social media, with many accusing the First Lady of being out‑of‑touch amid high inflation, rising unemployment and deteriorating purchasing power. Critics argued that encouraging small‑scale trading overlooks the need for broader economic reforms. In response, Rahman defended the initiative as “real economic policy” that formalises and expands micro‑enterprises, emphasizing its role in inclusive growth.

The debate was amplified by a resurfaced video of billionaire Tony Elumelu buying roasted corn from a Lagos roadside stall, dated 2019 but shared anew after Tinubu’s remarks. While some praised the clip as a sign of solidarity, others suggested it was being used to bolster the First Lady’s narrative.