Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, has defended First Lady Remi Tinubu over her call for unemployed Nigerians to embrace petty trading as a way to earn a living.
Speaking on the Mic-On podcast, Dare said the First Lady’s remarks about selling items such as akara, kuli-kuli and roasted corn had been widely misinterpreted.
He stressed that there is dignity in small-scale businesses, revealing that his own upbringing was made possible through his mother’s petty trading.
“My mother sold akara, bananas and oranges in Jos, Plateau State, and through this, they were able to train me. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Dare said.
Addressing the criticism that followed the First Lady’s comments, he argued that Nigerians should not dismiss the informal sector, noting that it remains a vital pillar of the country’s economy.
“When you look at the informal sector of our country, its resilience continues to ease this economy.
“It’s because of these small-scale entrepreneurs — those that sell akara and kuli-kuli. You find them predominantly everywhere, and also in the North. They are very significant,” he added.
Dare maintained that Remi Tinubu’s message was aimed at encouraging Nigerians to be resourceful and develop entrepreneurial skills instead of remaining idle.
“Her point is that whatever it is, try and do something, have some level of entrepreneurial skill,” he said.
