The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has received backing over her recent call urging Nigerian women to embrace small-scale productive ventures such as akara frying, kulikuli production, and corn roasting as a means of boosting economic self-reliance.
An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Oyo State, Kehinde Olaosebikan, while reacting to the First Lady’s remarks, described her position as “appropriate, practical, and deeply patriotic,” insisting that Nigeria risks undermining its economic foundation if small trades are ignored.
Olaosebikan argued that many of Nigeria’s leading food businesses today began from informal street vending, noting that several popular eateries started as small market stalls before evolving into established brands with multiple branches across the country.
He cited examples from Ibadan, where food businesses such as Amala Sky and Mama Ope reportedly grew from modest market-based operations into large enterprises, stressing that such growth stories demonstrate the economic potential of micro-enterprises when properly nurtured.
According to him, similar patterns exist in northern Nigeria, where women engaged in small-scale production of kulikuli and roasted corn have expanded their activities into packaged food businesses supplying supermarkets nationwide.
The APC chieftain also referenced akara production, recalling a period when foreign traders dominated the market in cities such as Lagos and Ibadan, a situation he said highlighted how local neglect of small-scale enterprises can lead to loss of indigenous economic opportunities.
He further warned that Nigeria is gradually losing ground in key artisanal sectors, including bricklaying, plumbing, tiling, and furniture making, with increasing reliance on foreign workers for services that Nigerians are capable of providing.
Olaosebikan maintained that small-scale businesses should be viewed as entry points into entrepreneurship rather than endpoints, adding that they help individuals develop discipline, accumulate capital, and scale into larger ventures over time.
He explained that the First Lady’s message was not about limiting ambition, but about encouraging Nigerians to begin with available resources and grow steadily.
“The First Lady is not saying stay small; she is saying start where you are able,” he said, adding that neglecting grassroots trades could deepen dependence on imported skills.
He warned that failure to embrace such ventures may lead to continued importation of labour for basic services, while proper support for them could strengthen local economies and reduce capital flight.
Olaosebikan concluded that strengthening small-scale enterprises would ensure sustainable economic growth, particularly among women and rural entrepreneurs across the country.