Akara, Kuli-Kuli and the Poverty of Public Discourse

• In defence of Oluremi Tinubu Advice on Entrepreneurship

In today’s Nigeria, where every public statement is instantly dissected, weaponised and amplified across social media, it has become increasingly difficult to separate genuine advice from political prejudice. That reality was once again brought into focus following the reaction that greeted First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s remarks encouraging Nigerians to consider small-scale ventures such as frying akara, roasting corn and producing kuli-kuli as examples of businesses that require little start-up capital.

Within hours, social media was awash with memes, insults, doctored videos and sarcastic commentaries portraying the First Lady as insensitive and disconnected from the realities confronting ordinary Nigerians. Rather than listening to what she actually said, many appeared more interested in ridiculing her because of who she is—the wife of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The result was another sad victory for outrage over understanding.

A careful, objective appraisal of Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s remarks reveals something entirely different from the narrative promoted online.

She was not prescribing akara or kuli-kuli as the ultimate ambition of Nigerian youths.

She was illustrating a timeless principle of entrepreneurship: every great business starts somewhere.

That distinction is crucial.

There is a world of difference between saying “this is where your life should end” and saying “this is one place you can begin.”

Unfortunately, many critics deliberately ignored that distinction.

Entrepreneurship Has Never Been About Starting Big

Across the world, successful entrepreneurs rarely began with multimillion-naira investments.

Some sold snacks.

Some hawked food.

Some operated kiosks.

Some traded from wheelbarrows.

Some started from roadside sheds.

History consistently teaches one lesson: greatness often begins in humble places.

Nigeria itself is full of inspiring examples.

Several of today’s successful restaurant owners started by selling cooked food from roadside stalls.

Many well-known caterers began by frying snacks for neighbours.

Countless bakery owners started with a single domestic oven.

Some of Nigeria’s largest food brands were once modest family businesses operating from small kitchens.

The founders of successful indigenous food chains did not begin with luxury buildings and nationwide franchises. They started with customers who bought one meal at a time.

Even outside the food industry, the same pattern repeats itself.

Many transport companies began with one vehicle.

Large supermarkets once operated from single shops.

Manufacturing companies started from small workshops.

Nobody laughs at those humble beginnings today because success has rewritten their stories.

So why should akara suddenly become a symbol of failure?

The First Lady Was Speaking About Opportunity, Not Limitation

The most overlooked part of Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s statement was that she spoke within the context of grants provided through the Renewed Hope Initiative.

She emphasised that beneficiaries received grants—not loans—to enable them establish businesses.

That distinction matters enormously.

Loans create debt.

Grants create opportunity.

Her point was simple: when people receive financial support, they should invest it in productive ventures capable of generating sustainable income instead of waiting endlessly for white-collar employment.

The examples she cited—akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli—were illustrations of businesses requiring relatively low capital.

They were examples.

Not commandments.

No reasonable listener should conclude that Nigeria’s First Lady believes every young Nigerian should become an akara seller.

That interpretation says more about the listener than the speaker.

A Record of Empowerment, Not Empty Rhetoric

Critics also ignored an even more important fact.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu has spent decades promoting women empowerment, education and economic independence.

Long before becoming Nigeria’s First Lady, she was known for supporting widows, women, students and vulnerable groups through various philanthropic activities.

Since assuming office as First Lady, the Renewed Hope Initiative has expanded interventions across education, agriculture, healthcare, ICT, scholarships, social welfare and economic empowerment.

Thousands of women and youths across Nigeria have benefited from grants, vocational training, agricultural support, ICT programmes, scholarships, medical interventions and equipment designed to improve livelihoods. The Initiative has consistently emphasised grants instead of loans, encouraging beneficiaries to build sustainable sources of income.

Recent interventions alone include empowerment programmes providing household equipment, agricultural training, business support and educational opportunities in multiple states.

Whether one supports or opposes the current administration politically, these programmes exist and have reached thousands of beneficiaries.

Those are verifiable facts.

Honest Labour Versus Dangerous Shortcuts

Perhaps the greatest irony surrounding this controversy is that many of those mocking small businesses celebrate lifestyles that are far more destructive.

Nigeria today faces an alarming rise in prostitution, internet-enabled sexual exploitation, “hook-up” culture and other forms of transactional relationships involving young women seeking quick wealth without sustainable careers.

Social media has normalised the illusion that success should come without sweat.

Luxury has become fashionable.

Hard work has become embarrassing.

Many young people would rather pose beside expensive cars they do not own than proudly operate legitimate small businesses.

Yet history teaches that honest labour carries dignity.

There is greater honour in frying akara with integrity than in financing a glamorous lifestyle through exploitation, criminality or prostitution.

Money earned honestly may start small, but it grows with discipline, consistency and experience.

Quick money often disappears as quickly as it arrives.

The First Lady’s advice, properly understood, was an invitation to productive enterprise rather than idleness or dependence.

That message deserves thoughtful consideration.

Social Media Is Not Always Society

The memes mocking Senator Oluremi Tinubu may generate millions of views.

They may produce laughter.

They may even score political points.

But memes have never created businesses.

Sarcasm has never paid salaries.

Mockery has never built industries.

Social media thrives on exaggeration.

Algorithms reward outrage more than reason.

Consequently, nuanced statements are reduced to misleading soundbites capable of provoking anger and ridicule.

That appears to be precisely what happened here.

The debate quickly shifted from discussing entrepreneurship to manufacturing outrage.

Every Great Journey Begins With One Small Step

There is an African proverb that says no one climbs a tree from the top.

Every successful entrepreneur understands this truth.

Small beginnings are not signs of failure.

They are often the foundations of future success.

Selling akara today does not prevent someone from owning a chain of restaurants tomorrow.

Roasting corn today does not stop someone from becoming a food processing entrepreneur tomorrow.

Making kuli-kuli today does not prevent someone from establishing an agro-processing factory tomorrow.

Progress is built in stages.

Beyond Politics

None of this suggests that Nigerians should stop demanding better governance, economic reforms, infrastructure, security or improved living standards.

Citizens have every right to hold government accountable.

Constructive criticism remains essential in any democracy.

However, fairness also requires acknowledging when a statement has been misunderstood or deliberately distorted.

Not every example used in public communication deserves ridicule.

Sometimes, wisdom comes wrapped in simplicity.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s remarks should be viewed in that light.

Rather than dismissing honest enterprise because it begins modestly, Nigerians—especially young people—should rediscover the dignity of productive labour, the discipline of gradual growth and the timeless truth that every successful business once started small.

Those who understand that principle may never become viral sensations on social media.

But they stand a far better chance of becoming tomorrow’s employers, industrialists and wealth creators.

In the final analysis, history rarely remembers those who laughed at humble beginnings.

It remembers those who transformed humble beginnings into extraordinary success.