Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Remi Tinubu, has sparked
widespread reactions after saying that starting small businesses such as
selling akara, roasted corn, or kuli-kuli requires little capital.
Speaking on the Federal Government's efforts to
support small-scale entrepreneurs, the First Lady said her office had provided
grants—not loans—to help Nigerians establish and grow their businesses.
"To start an akara business doesn't take a lot of
money. To start roasting corn or kuli-kuli doesn't take much. We didn't give
them a loan; we gave them a grant. We have encouraged Nigerians as best as we
could. I also gave to several others," she said.
According to Senator Tinubu, more than ?3 billion has
been spent on empowerment initiatives aimed at supporting low-income Nigerians
through grants and other forms of assistance.
However, her remarks triggered criticism on social
media platform X, where many Nigerians argued that the country's harsh economic
conditions, rising inflation, and high operating costs have made it
increasingly difficult for even small businesses to survive. Several users
maintained that access to startup capital is only one of the many challenges
confronting entrepreneurs in the current economic climate.
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