By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Chief Sunday Dare, has defended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu over her recent remarks urging Nigerians to embrace small-scale businesses, saying her message was aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, not trivialising the country’s economic challenges.
Dare made the clarification while reacting to public criticism that followed the First Lady’s suggestion that ventures such as selling akara, roasting corn and making kuli-kuli could serve as pathways to economic empowerment.
According to him, the informal sector remains one of the strongest pillars of Nigeria’s economy, driven largely by millions of small-scale entrepreneurs across the country.
“When you look at the informal sector of our country, its resilience continues to lead this economy. It is because of these small-scale entrepreneurs those who sell akara and roast corn. You find them everywhere, and in the North they are also significant,” he said.
He stressed that the First Lady’s message was simply a call for Nigerians to develop entrepreneurial skills and engage in productive ventures.
“Our point you must not miss our point is that whatever it is, try and do something. Have some level of entrepreneurial skill,” Dare stated.
Drawing from his personal experience, the presidential spokesman said his upbringing was shaped by the proceeds of his mother’s petty trading.
“Look at me. Wherever I am today, my mother sold akara. 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?” he said.
He argued that there was nothing demeaning about starting a business on a small scale, noting that many successful entrepreneurs began with modest ventures.
“If that was right 60 years ago, what is wrong with that now? It is about the capital you have. When you grow these small businesses, you start small,” he added.
Dare cited the success story of Aliko Dangote to reinforce his position.
“Go and read Dangote’s story. Go and read where he started from. He also started like a trader,” he said.
Reiterating the essence of the First Lady’s remarks, Dare urged Nigerians to embrace enterprise in whatever legitimate form available to them.
“The point she is making is, whatever it is, be engaged in some kind of enterprise,” he said.
