Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare has defended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s comments encouraging low-capital entrepreneurship, saying his own upbringing demonstrates how small-scale trading can transform lives.
Responding to criticism of the First Lady’s remarks about businesses such as selling akara (bean cakes), Dare recounted how his mother relied on petty trading to support the family’s education and livelihood.
“Look at me. Wherever I am today, my mother sold akara,” Dare said. “She also sold bananas and oranges. I carried bananas in a tray on my head to markets in Jos, Plateau State. Through those businesses, my parents were able to train me.”
He argued that there is nothing demeaning about earning an honest living through small businesses, insisting that such ventures have long served as a pathway to economic empowerment for many Nigerian families.
“If that was right 60 years ago,” he added, “what is wrong with that now?”
Dare’s remarks come amid public debate over the First Lady’s comments, which have drawn mixed reactions from Nigerians, with critics arguing they fail to address the country’s broader economic challenges, while supporters say they highlight the value of entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
