Nigeria First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Faces Social Media Backlash Over Small‑Business Advice

First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu urged Nigerians to start low‑cost ventures such as selling akara, roasting corn and producing kuli‑kuli, saying “to start an akara business doesn’t take a lot of money” and stressing that the government provides grants, not loans, to support these enterprises. She also cited personal contributions of N2 billion for tuberculosis control, N1 billion for breast‑cancer programmes and N500 million for food‑malnutrition relief, as well as scholarships and ICT training.

The remarks sparked a wave of criticism on social media, with users accusing the First Lady of being disconnected from the severe economic hardship facing many citizens amid rising inflation, unemployment and soaring living costs. One commentator called the statement “an insult” to Nigerians, while others argued the advice reflected a lack of vision for youth entrepreneurship. A handful of netizens defended the suggestion, pointing out that small‑scale snack trades have historically provided livelihoods and funded education for many families.

The episode has amplified debate over the effectiveness of the administration’s Renewed Hope Initiative and its broader strategy to address poverty and unemployment in Nigeria.