Remi Tinubu Defends Akara Remarks

First Lady Remi Tinubu defends akara remarks, insisting her empowerment comments cover far more than just one type of street food. Speaking on Monday at the inauguration of the newly built Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall inside the Emir of Hadejia’s Palace in Jigawa State, she pushed back against critics who accused her of trivialising Nigeria’s economic struggles.

Her comments come just days after she sparked controversy with remarks about akara, roasted corn, and kuli-kuli vendors. That earlier statement triggered a wave of backlash online, and many Nigerians felt she downplayed how tough things have become for ordinary citizens.

Remi Tinubu Defends Akara Remarks With New Details

During Monday’s event, broadcast by TVC News, the First Lady tackled the criticism head-on. She explained that the Federal Government recently handed over N100m to the Jigawa State Government, and the funds will go toward empowering 2,000 petty traders across the state.

“Because of the atmosphere, what is going on, I’ve told Her Excellency that we’ve already given, donated about 100 million to her to use to empower 2,000 petty traders,” she said. According to her, the support network reaches well beyond akara sellers. “I know they’ve been talking that I said akara. It’s not only akara, we also have tomato sellers. We have boole, and those also selling pepper, selling vegetables for us in the market.”

She added that the government intends to keep building on this support so these small businesses can grow sustainably over time.

Why Remi Tinubu’s Empowerment Claims Matter Now

Each of the 2,000 beneficiaries will reportedly receive N50,000 to help recapitalise their businesses. “We continue to carry the capacity. We have the amount of 2,000 women who are already in small businesses. They will recapitalise their businesses with the N50,000 each. We’ve already given the N100 million,” Tinubu explained.

Despite the online criticism, she made clear that her office won’t be deterred from continuing these empowerment efforts. “I know all those people who are affected, they do appreciate it. And we are not intimidated by all those wrong reports. But we are forging ahead and making sure that our people, you know, are well cared for,” she said.

Beyond the empowerment scheme, the First Lady also touched on Nigeria’s wider economic potential. She referenced a recent visit to an orange orchard in Benue State and voiced hope that young Nigerians would look past oil when exploring opportunities. “Nigeria is a really blessed country. I’ve been travelling, and I pray that our young people will see the resources we have in this nation. We have not even gone to explore yet because we are thinking it’s oil. But there are so many things,” she noted.

For additional context on the original backlash that prompted this response, see PUNCH’s earlier report on the akara controversy. Readers can also learn more about the office’s broader mandate via Wikipedia’s overview of the First Lady of Nigeria.

As the controversy settles, the government appears determined to frame its empowerment drive as inclusive rather than narrow. Whether this clarification eases public frustration remains to be seen, but for now, Tinubu insists the support reaches a much wider circle of traders than her critics assumed.