Remi Tinubu’s akara advice was about self-reliance, not poverty – Ahmed Bala

Ahmed Bala, Director General of Relax, Tinubu Is Fixing Nigeria (RTIFN), has defended the recent remarks by Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, urging Nigerians to embrace the dignity of labour, saying her comments have been widely misunderstood and unnecessarily politicised.

The First Lady made the remarks while speaking with journalists after the second-quarter meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative with wives of state governors at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday.

Speaking on the initiative’s activities, Mrs Tinubu explained that the programme provides grants—not loans—to vulnerable Nigerians to help them establish small businesses and improve their livelihoods.

“We’re trying to give hope, and to start akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn, or somebody even said kuli-kuli, doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant.

“So we’ve encouraged Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given, and I keep giving,” she said.

Her comments, however, sparked criticism on social media, with many Nigerians arguing that they downplayed the country’s economic hardship and unemployment challenges.

Reacting to the controversy, Bala said the First Lady’s advice was intended to promote entrepreneurship, productivity and self-reliance, rather than belittle unemployed Nigerians.

According to him, Mrs Tinubu was simply encouraging citizens to embrace honest work, regardless of the scale or nature of the business.

“What Senator Oluremi Tinubu is saying is simple: if you don’t have a job, create one. There is dignity in labour. No honest means of livelihood should be looked down upon,” he said.

Bala also argued that many Nigerians who criticised the remarks are willing to take up physically demanding jobs abroad in search of better opportunities.

“There is a generation that will cross the Sahara Desert, risk the Mediterranean Sea or the Atlantic Ocean in search of opportunities abroad. Many of them sweep streets, wash dead bodies in mortuaries, work as caregivers in nursing homes and perform all kinds of difficult jobs overseas without shame. Yet, the same people criticize the First Lady for encouraging entrepreneurship at home,” he stated.

He maintained that the First Lady’s comments should be seen as a call to action rather than a political statement, stressing that the culture of dependence on influential contacts for financial assistance is no longer sustainable.

Bala further said nation-building requires the active participation of every citizen through hard work, creativity and enterprise, noting that government alone cannot deliver prosperity.

Drawing comparisons with countries such as China and Singapore, he argued that their economic success was built on strong work ethics, entrepreneurship and respect for honest labour.

He urged Nigerians to embrace skills acquisition, innovation and small businesses, insisting that every legitimate occupation contributes to national development.

“The First Lady’s message is about encouraging self-reliance, not diminishing anyone’s struggles. Rather than politicising her comments, we should encourage every Nigerian to become productive, because the future of our country depends on the willingness of all of us to work and build together,” he said.