Sunday Dare, former minister of youth and sports, has defended remarks made by Oluremi Tinubu, the first lady, about small-scale food businesses.
The first lady recently said micro-enterprises such as
selling akara [bean cakes], roasted corn, and kuli kuli [peanut snacks] require
minimal startup capital, adding that the government is providing grants rather
than loans to support such ventures.
“We’re trying to give hope, and to start an 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,” she said.
The remarks drew criticism on social media, with many users
accusing the first lady of trivialising the economic hardship facing many
Nigerians.
But speaking during an interview on the ‘Mic On Podcast’
hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, a journalist with Channels Television, Dare said the
nation’s economy is resilient because of small-scale entrepreneurs, including
those who sell akara.
“We find them predominantly everywhere, also in the north,”
Dare said.
The special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and
public communication urged Nigerians to focus on the substance of the first
lady’s remarks, adding that he once hawked bananas while growing up.
“You must not miss her point, which is: whatever it is, try
and do something, have some level of entrepreneurial skill,” he said.
“Look at me, wherever I am today, my mother sold akara.
Wherever I am today, my mother sold bananas. I carried bananas on a tray on my
head to markets in Jos, Plateau state. My mother sold oranges, and through
that, they were able to train me. What is wrong with that?
“If that was right 60 years ago, what is wrong with that
now? Because it is about what capital you have. When you grow these small
businesses, you start small.
“Go and read Dangote’s story, where he started from. He also
started as a trader. So the point she is making is: whatever it is, be engaged
in some kind of enterprise.”
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