My mother sold Akara and Bananas— Sunday Dare defends Remi Tinubu 

Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, has defended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s comments urging Nigerians to consider small-scale businesses such as akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli. 

In a video circulating online, the First Lady said the administration is supporting small businesses through grants, not loans. The remarks drew criticism on social media, with some Nigerians saying they were out of touch with the country’s economic hardship.

Responding on Seun Okinbaloye’s _Mic On_ podcast, Dare said the First Lady’s point was to encourage entrepreneurship. 

“My mother sold akara and bananas. I carried bananas on trays on my head to the market in Jos,” Dare said. “My mother sold oranges, and through this, they were able to train me.” 

Dare, who said he hawked fruit in Jos markets as a child, argued that small-scale trade remains a driver of the economy. 

“If my mother could do that 60 years ago and train me successfully, there is nothing wrong with what the First Lady said,” he said. 

He added that the comments were meant to encourage people to acquire entrepreneurial skills rather than remain idle.