Nigeria's First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Faces Backlash Over Akara Business Remarks

First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu sparked nationwide controversy after stating that starting an akara (bean‑cake) business requires little capital and announcing N50,000 grants for small traders. Critics, including the Obidient Movement, argued the comment belittled university graduates and highlighted chronic unemployment, with spokesperson Yunusa Tanko saying, “You cannot reduce people who have studied at the university to akara and corn sellers.”

Supporters and allies defended the initiative. Former lawmaker Shehu Sani urged Nigerians to assess the First Lady’s broader humanitarian record rather than focus on a single remark, citing her contributions to health, education and disaster relief. Opposition figure Abass Mimiko claimed the outrage was politically manufactured, calling it “misinformation” by the elite.

President Bola Tinubu later joked about the episode, referring to his wife as “Iya Alakara” (Mama Akara Seller) during a press dinner, prompting laughter. The First Lady reiterated that the empowerment program also targets tomato, pepper and other small‑scale traders, noting a N100 million allocation to empower 2,000 petty traders in Jigawa State. The episode underscores ongoing tensions over Nigeria’s economic hardship and the role of government‑led micro‑enterprise schemes.