₦airaland Forum

People are shouting about small and medium enterprises.

Does akara, kulikuli and corn not fall in this category?

One thing is that no matter how bad the condition, people must eat. Go to several countries, and you will be amazed at how well people live from small business. See this picture, his name is Brad Ribar. He is referred to as corn king and runs a successful corn stand at state fairs in Minnesota.

In Nigeria, we are too quick to attack.

Devilish government and woman
God will judge you

naptu2:
Screenshots of comments about micro-credit.

Even if you say you want to dash me 5h I will collect it and buy airtime. But you telling me you want to give me to do business, na that one I fit tear you correct slap. There's difference between giveaway and empowerment.

Shame

This sounds link damage control.

SixSeven:
Sir, if this advice is so excellent, let the government launch an empowerment scheme where the children of APC chieftains take the lead in frying Akara on the streets. If it isn't good enough for your children, do not get angry when other people's children reject it. True leadership leads by example. Until we see the children of APC chieftains roasting corn on the streets of Abuja after graduating from UK universities, nobody should preach petty trade to other people's children.


Why did they start with cars for the women leaders last week? 🤡

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7647286952948944136


If this advice is so filled with wisdom, why are politicians' children being appointed into secure NNPC and CBN roles while everyone else's children are being handed a frying pan? If frying Akara is such a lucrative blueprint for economic recovery, let's see the government allocate the next round of CBN grants to the children of the poor to set up roadside akara stands.

In 2011, Mrs Tinubu sponsored the National Social Security Agency Bill to build institutional government safety nets and provide formal monthly stipends for unemployed graduates. In 2026, instead of advocating for systemic social security or institutional economic safety nets from the government, she is telling citizens to rely on roadside survivalist trading to get by.

There is the informal sector, there is the formal sector. Mrs Tinubu is being clever by half by suggesting this to people and don't give us that manure of the wisdom behind words. What you can't do with your own child, don't do it to others.

u people just argue ignorantly with no meaning

Grants and loans are for specific purpose n not everyone because we are financially different.


So was it obi children that he gave 10k to do business?

If obi knows 10k is enough to do business y don't your obi give that 10k to his children?

U people are not objective with your criticism n that's y nobody takes u serious, some people see 50k like 50 million

They can do things with it

My father bought a bike for one guy in our area when bike was 750k, over 10 years ago.

Today the man have moved to his own house, so y didn't d man ask my father to give us the bike?

It's simply because financially we are above that level but someone see it as luxury, till today the man's family still come n do Christmas in our house cos they see my father as big daddy just because of buying bike of 750k

The problem with u people is that u only focus on what u want to see n not what is real

kernniejay:
Obi is not your president and he is not the one collecting your tax.
In 2026 when countries are talking about technological developments? She can't even say they would provide electricity to support small scale businesses. Your first lady is talking like we are in the 1970s or 80s and you people are praising her.
FYI, I'm not an Obi supporter.

hypocrite

Keep quiet there, so obi is not the president does that mean he can't give those women 5 million naira each?

Y did he decided to give them 10k?

Most of them are too lazy to read the post anyway. 🤣

They're not forcing anyone to take the initiative. I just want you to know that not everyone will have the type of opportunities the children of APC will get.

Reality is different from online fams. If the FG starts a program of sharing 20K today, millions of Nigerians will lobby for it but the children of the APC chieftains will never come for it because 20k will never be their problem.

Have you seen any children of US presidents, senators or their big politicians queued for food at their food bank?

SixSeven:
Sir, if this advice is so excellent, let the government launch an empowerment scheme where the children of APC chieftains take the lead in frying Akara on the streets. If it isn't good enough for your children, do not get angry when other people's children reject it. True leadership leads by example. Until we see the children of APC chieftains roasting corn on the streets of Abuja after graduating from UK universities, nobody should preach petty trade to other people's children.


Why did they start with cars for the women leaders last week? 🤡

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7647286952948944136


If this advice is so filled with wisdom, why are politicians' children being appointed into secure NNPC and CBN roles while everyone else's children are being handed a frying pan? If frying Akara is such a lucrative blueprint for economic recovery, let's see the government allocate the next round of CBN grants to the children of the poor to set up roadside akara stands.

In 2011, Mrs Tinubu sponsored the National Social Security Agency Bill to build institutional government safety nets and provide formal monthly stipends for unemployed graduates. In 2026, instead of advocating for systemic social security or institutional economic safety nets from the government, she is telling citizens to rely on roadside survivalist trading to get by.

There is the informal sector, there is the formal sector. Mrs Tinubu is being clever by half by suggesting this to people and don't give us that manure of the wisdom behind words. What you can't do with your own child, don't do it to others. For a former Senator not to know that there are specific institutions to do what she is talking about, I now forgive Aisha Buhari who channeled her frustration to the right quarters. Madam, there are budget allocations for these things. It means you are not on top of your game if you have to fund the country with your charity when there is a government. Shame again. When a First Lady operates a private non-governmental organization (NGO) from the Presidential Villa, it almost always triggers public suspicion regarding accountability, funding, and the abuse of power. She stated that the Renewed Hope Initiative would initially be funded using unspent money from the 2023 APC presidential campaign purse. Can you see why this is a meddlesome affair? The governing board of her "charity" does not consist of independent humanitarian experts. Instead, it features the Wife of the Vice President, the Wife of the Senate President, and the APC National Women Leader. Please sell us another story.

blackpanda:
Honestly Nigerians just love to complain about everything

Who is forcing you to sell akara

Even jobless ones will be making noise....like u are too big for akara, But not too big to beg for urgent 2k

Shiiiooorrrr

God bless u

Funny enough the major people criticizing her are those who call others lazy for doing nothing

They believe one is lazy for not doing anything but someone is saying go n do something n they are still condemning her

For every Olodo in this government, there must be a bigger Olodo to defend them

No need to tell bro, anybody not happy about it can o to court.

Bro pls check this list I'm dropping here these are few I can remember. These are the ransome paid to kidnappers during obi grigory as governor of Anambra pls I stand to be corrected.

The names of the people kidnapped during Peter Obi's Administration and the ransom fee some of them paid are below.

I repeat I stand to be corrected but I'm very sure 90% of this names are correct.

[b]1. Engr. Malcolm Nweke of Alor - 25million naira.

2. Traditional Ruler of Ukpo – Igwe Robert Eze paid N100m

3. Chief Donatus Ugorji of Ogbunike , Orjitechs Eletronics - 30million

4. Traditional Ruler of Abagana – Igwe Patrick Okeke

5. Traditional Ruler of Adazi Nnukwu – Igwe Lawrence Oragwu

6. Traditional Ruler of Ihembosi – Igwe Jerome Udechukwu Chike

7. Commissioner of Science and Technology - C. Okoli .

8. Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s father

9. Dr. Chidi Nweke – former deputy governor of Anambra. 5milion naira and he was killed even after collecting the ransom.

10. Ken Emeakayi – factional PDP State Chairman

11. Ernest Obiora - Anambra Iroko Nnewi Auto parts dealers,

12. Dr. Emeka Aniebonam - Nnewi North LGA Chairman

13. Tony Obi – Anambra State House of Assembly member - 8milion naira

14. Chief Ekenna - Chairman Emeka Offor Foundation , sister to Orange Drugs CEO - N50m ransom.

15. Brother to G.U.O. Okeke – paid N35m

16. Chief James Iloenyisi [80yrs] father of Super Eagles player , Chikeluo Iloenyisi - 5milion naira.

17. Mrs Adafor Madueke 89yrs– 8milion naira.

18. Ndubusi Nwobu from Adazi Ani – former Action Congress State Chairman Anambra Chapter - 12milion naira.

19. Chief Leonard Uchendu – gubernatorial candidate NNPP - 10milion naira.

20. Pete Edochie – nollywood legend.

21. Dr. Ozor Nwanya from Ezinifite - 20milion.

22 . Dr Alex Okonkwo from Okoh - 10 million.

23. Chief Obi Charles Charleston from Aghaemelum - 13million.[/b]

All these kidnapping done under obi as governor snd all these ransome when h was the governor let every anambrans here born before 1999 to 2005 center Meifod I lie.[/b]

I didn't just h8te obi for nothing I was a grown man when he was govetnor he is my kinsman but very useless. Tell obi I said he is useless infact very very
stew-pid to even open his mouth and tell Tinubu to resign.

🤣 None of them can address what's written in the post, it's just meaningless insults and weird accusations.

naptu2:
Most of them are too lazy to read the post anyway. 🤣

just don't mind those dingbats, that's y nobody takes them serious

They attack everything even if what the person is saying is right, so far it doesn't come from their own then it must b condemned

Obi can give people 10k n they hail him but Tinubu wife can't give someone 50-150k

The same people forming billionaire online will drop account for 2k giveaway

Elusive001:
See data boys ooooo

Una go explain tire.

Like say the data boys wey comment up there don get their own grant for the akara, kwuli-kwuli and roasted corn. Madridguy, Naptu2 and co, I see una. Make una enjoy

🤣 Is that your well reasoned response to what's in the post??

Kai!

I have learnt this about 9ja a lot of them are ungrateful, greedy, entitled and even seek to tell you what your priorities should be with your own money.

One has to do as the spirit leads and move on.

naptu2:
Mrs Tinubu was referring to the people that she gave grants of ₦50,000 each, not to you






Shehu Sani, Desmond Elliot, Muhammadu Buhari, Yemi Osinbajo and Oluremi Tinubu, Peter Obi.

I do not seek fame because being famous would mean that you have to deal with the opinions of many stupid people.

I know somebody who belongs to a charitable organisation. Many years ago I came across her while she was writing a letter to one of their partners. There were several interesting things in her letter and she took the time to explain them to me.

In the letter she referred to the people that she was helping as, "My master". She explained that this was what they did in her organisation so that they would put the beneficiaries first. It would prevent them from looking down on the beneficiaries and it would force them to respect the beneficiaries.

There was another thing she said that I was already familiar with. That thing is the subject of this post.

She said that they don't act like they have all the answers and they don't act like they know all. Instead they ask the beneficiaries what they need and that determines the assistance that they give them.


Surprisingly this is something that many Nigerians cannot understand.

Forgotten example

This was on my mind when something happened years ago. Unfortunately I can no longer remember who it was and exactly what he donated, but this story might trigger someone's memory and the person might remind me of the details.

There was a serious uproar on Nigerian internet. What happened? A man had donated somethings to a community and the whole of Nigeria was condemning him.

I can't remember exactly what it was, but it was something like wheelbarrows (let's assume that it was wheelbarrows).

Nigerians were livid. "How can you donate wheelbarrows to people? What do you want them to use it for? Would you give wheelbarrows to your children? You want to turn them to labourers? We are in the ICT age and he could have donated things that would take people out of poverty, yet he is donating wheelbarrows to keep them in poverty".

There were all kinds of very loud, angry and st up id reactions. The photos went viral and the reactions were so loud that they got to the donor and so he made an explanation.

I can't remember for certain, but I think I created the thread about the donor's explanation.

The donor explained that he had been donating things to communities for decades and that he has learnt a lot from the practice. One of the things that he learnt was that he shouldn't just go and give the community whatever he wanted to give. He does not live with them and his experience is not their experience. They know what they need better than he does.

So he goes and asks them what they need, they tell him and he provides it. This obviously does not stop him from providing what he initially had in mind.

So in the case of this community he donated what he had in mind (I think he donated computers and other things) and he donated what members of the community asked for. Basically, it was members of the community that asked for wheelbarrows. The man posted photos of all the things that he donated and je accused the media of being mischievous because they only posted what would support their agenda.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates said something similar. He said that je was excited when he began doing charity work in Africa and what he had in mind was that he was going to donate computers and software, etc. But then he hit reality.

Of what use are the computers to a child that has not eaten? What use is the software to a child that is dying of malaria? How would the child use the computers if he has not seen the inside of a classroom?

That's why his foundation began focusing on healthcare, education, food security and similar issues.

Bayo Onanuga

Bayo Onanuga did not say that there was no hunger in Nigeria. What he said was that he had not seen that level of hunger in Nigeria.

I told you that he is not a good judge. Bayo Onanuga has owned his own media house (The News, PM News, etc) since the 1990s and he currently works in the Aso Rock Villa. He is a member of the elite. Therefore it's no surprise that he has not seen that level of hunger, but the fact that he has not seen it does not mean that it does not exist.

Muhammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo

The Buhari Administration began the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) in order to boost small businesses in Nigeria.

There were many programmes under the GEEP and these included the TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni.

These programmes were not designed by magic. The Bank of Industry conducted a lot of research into the impact of these programmes while designing them. This reseaarch obviously included discussions with potential beneficiaries.

The tradermoni provided the least amount of money. It was designed for petty traders, for example, those that sold things on the roadsides, in corner shops or kiosks.

Beneficiaries were given ₦10,000 interest-free and collateral-free loans. They were required to invest the money into their business. This was level 1. When they repaid the loan (and provided proof that they invested it in their business) they would move to the next level which qualifies them to get a higher loan. The levels were:


Level 1: ₦10,000
Level 2: ₦15,000
Level 3: ₦20,000
Level 4: ₦50,000
Level 5: ₦100,000

Some Nigerians went crazy!

They asked what could ₦10,000 do? Some said that they spent more than that in a night's outing. They asked if government officials would give their children ₦10,000. Some talked about cost of renting a house or a shop, others talked about school fees and cost of a car, etc. You can see that all these people were mad.

The ₦10,000 was not given to finance the life of the beneficiaries. It was given so that the beneficiaries would invest it into their businesses.

Just like Bayo Onanuga, the critics were elites for whom ₦10,000 was nothing. The beneficiaries were not going to spend that money at a club or restaurant. They were going to invest it into their petty businesses. It was meant to enable them increase their stock and make more profit.

Journalists, social media users and others discussed with beneficiaries and all the beneficiaries praised the programme.

Some funny characters claimed that it was vote buying. That's pure nonsense. Otherwise we can also say that everything that government does is vote buying. Almost all programmes of government are designed to make the lives of citizens better so that the citizens will vote for them in the next election. Therefore, going by the claims of the funny characters, everything that government does is vote buying.


Mr Peter Obi

I constantly tell you that all politicians are the same. Obidients often act like Peter Obi is a messiah that will come and turn Nigeria into heaven on earth. They act as if Peter Obi is doing us a favour by contesting presidential elections (have you ever heard such nonsense in your life).

I have often shown (with evidence) that all the major contenders for the presidency will do the same things. They all said the same things about petrol subsidy, dollar subsidy, etc before the elections.

So here is another example.

Obidients condemned the TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni programmes. They asked what will ₦10,000 do in the life of someone. They claimed that it was vote buying.

Mr Peter Obi shamed Obidients by providing the answers to these questions. In the video below he talked about what happened when he gave some traders at the village market ₦10,000.

Was this vote buying?

The transforming power of micro-credit.

Excellent validation for what #TraderMoni and #MarketMoni have been working to achieve (at scale!) since inception. @growthplat_me pic.twitter.com/kL9X6TKZeM

— Tolu Ogunlesi (@toluogunlesi) January 19, 2022

Desmond Elliot

A lie travels very far and fast, while the truth is too slow.

Desmond Elliot has been a victim of this on many occasions. I bet that even today, many years later, many people have never even heard the truth.

There were two times that it was claimed that Desmond Elliot donated things to his constituents and the whole of Nigeria descended on him.

Firstly photos of a toilet went viral and it was said that Desmond Elliot had donated this public toilet.

Critics asked whether a public toilet was the problem of his constituents, some complained that the toilet was too small, etc. Everybody condemned Desmond Elliot and nobody was interested in hearing the truth.

The truth is that it wasn't Desmond Elliot that donated the toilet.

The toilet was part of a pilot project by the Austrian government and facilitated by Ladi Lawanson, the former Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation. It was a biofuel toilet that was designed to convert human waste to fuel.

All Desmond Elliot did was to advocate that some of the toilets should be sited in his constituency. The toilets were always going to be built somewhere in Lagos, so he convinced the owners of the project to site 3 of the toilets in his constituency and they invited him to inaugurate them.

The toilets were built by the Austrian Government.

Similarly, the next year, there was an uproar about a bridge. Some people claimed that Desmond Elliot donated a bridge to his constituency and that it was a substandard bridge.

Desmond Elliot did some projects in his constituency, but his constituents told him that they also need a bridge. They told him to give them the money and they would build the bridge, so he gave them ₦800,000.

Later he saw posts and pictures on social media that he had built a substandard bridge for the community (the youths that built the bridge put up a sign that said that he donated the bridge).


Oluremi Tinubu

The role of first lady was previously not a major role in Nigeria. Mrs Flora Azikiwe acted as hostess to visiting dignitaries.

Mrs Victoria Gowon was a style leader and often appeared in public with her husband and on her own. Women often copied her fashion styles.

Mrs Ajoke Muhammed was more reserved and she only began her activities (gardens) after she left the office of first lady.

The first lady role was not really performed during the Obasanjo, Shagari and Buhari eras.

It was Mrs Maryam Babangida that made the role a major charity role.

Mrs Babangida had her Better Life For Rural Women (later called Better Life For Rural Dwellers) through which she tried to improve the lives of people living in rural areas.

She had her annual First Lady's Children's Concert, where the child xylophonist Udo Maryam was discovered.

I have told you about the donation circuit. Mrs Babangida had similar programmes where wealthy people donated a lot of money that she used to fund her programmes.

In fact, I've still got a video of one of those events, but I'm too lazy to go and look for it.


All first ladies since Mrs Babangida have had similar charity programmes.

Mrs Oluremi Tinubu has had her New Era Foundation since she was first lady of Lagos State. She also runs a spelling bee competition and other such activities.


Recently a fake story, that Mrs Tinubu was telling Nigerians that they should go into akara frying and corn roasting, has gone viral. What really happened?


Mrs Tinubu had a meeting with wives of state governors and they reviewed their charity programmes. She addressed the media outside her office after the meeting. She was telling the media what they discussed and that's where the clip came from.

What she actually said

She said that they had given money (grants of ₦50,000 and above each) to women and that these were grants not loans. She said that the money was enough to help the women start businesses, they could fry akara or roast corn, at least these are very easy to start.

She said that they had also given

₦2 billion for tuberculosis,
₦1 billion for breast cancer,
and ₦500 million to tackle food malnutrition.
They had provided scholarships
And they had provided ICT training

"We're trying to give hope. To start akara business doesn't take much; to start roasting corn doesn't take much. We didn't give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant. We have encouraged Nigerians as best as we could. What is within our hands, I have given, and I keep… pic.twitter.com/hdgTeAss8M

— TheCable (@thecableng) June 25, 2026

That's what really happened.


Shehu Sani

During Ramadan and Eid Senator Shehu Sani distributed 12 camels, several cows, and foodstuffs worth ₦15 million to his constituents. These went viral and led to criticisms with some people calling him the "Camel Senator".

He received even more criticism when he distributed 100,000 world band radios to his constituents. A former Nairaland moderator (who is now popular on Twitter) asked whether anyone still listens to radios. He is obviously unaware that radios are a major source of political awareness in northern Nigeria.

Elusive001:
See data boys ooooo

Una go explain tire.

Like say the data boys wey comment up there don get their own grant for the akara, kwuli-kwuli and roasted corn. Madridguy, Naptu2 and co, I see una. Make una enjoy

I can bet if I tell u to drop your aza for 2k now u fo rush drop am

Online billionaire but broke dudes offline

A seating president is beyond a phylantrophy but having programs that benefit the entire nation not isolated motivation to earn votes.
We want to see road connecting States not boundary roads in the name of legacy projects awarded to a well known international criminal, let there be light 24 hours as he promised, let there be affordable health services, tow the part of Awolowo by offering free education or discounted via bursary/ scholarship and not loan that'll be a future problem to the beneficiaries, end terrorism like Ibrahim Traore did in Burkina Faso, let there be industries to employ our youth etc.

I guess they are still having a meeting in their whatsapp group to decide how to respond to this.

madridguy:
They will always criticize but people with open mind will get the first lady's point.

ok so where will you start your own akara business

@naptu2, you just took part of my explanation on this issue... People are just lazy to understand her view, probably because they haven't understood the extent of poverty in naija...
Those people are satisfied with the gift and she said that they are not repaying... Why the noise allover??

BATified2023:
hypocrite

Keep quiet there, so obi is not the president does that mean he can't give those women 5 million naira each?

Y did he decided to give them 10k?

U won tell person how to spend his own money? The audacity

One of them is above asking whether 50k can start akara business in Nigeria today.

ikorodureporta:
@naptu2, you just took part of my explanation on this issue... People are just lazy to understand her view, probably because they haven't understood the extent of poverty in naija...
Those people are satisfied with the gift and she said that they are not repaying... Why the noise allover??

I do not seek fame because being famous would mean that you have to deal with the opinions of many stupid people.


Who push this kind talk go FrontPage.. God p unish the Person... See what they accept. Who's stupid now?

Naustine:
U won tell person how to spend his own money? The audacity

so what makes u feel it's not remi Tinubu money?

Or she can't spend out of her own purse too?

Nigerians, particularly the educated ones who are on the internent, are for the most part frustrated.

That's all I am going to say. I have a lot to say, but there are far too many abusive people on this site, and am getting too old to keep up with toddlers and primary schook kids.

Ta.

naptu2:
One of them is above asking whether 50k can start akara business in Nigeria today.

Don't mind them.....
Some people come asking for money to buy just the food stuff like corn or beans, that they have space already..

Nigerians nv c anything in this ppl hand

madridguy:
They're not forcing anyone to take the initiative. I just want you to know that not everyone will have the type of opportunities the children of APC will get.

Reality is different from online fams. If the FG starts a program of sharing 20K today, millions of Nigerians will lobby for it but the children of the APC chieftains will never come for it because 20k will never be their problem.

Have you seen any children of US presidents, senators or their big politicians queued for food at their food bank?

I just want you to know that not everyone will have the type of opportunities the children of APC will get.

Do you know the import of this sentence?
The APC Constitution Preamble explicitly defines the party as an organization of "true progressives and patriots". It states a foundational commitment to:

1. Building a nation that will "guarantee equal opportunity for all".

2. "Eliminating all forms of discrimination and social injustice among Nigerians".

When the children of top party officials enjoy exclusive access to foreign education, premium medical care, and secure government appointments while over 20 million ordinary children are out of school, the party is operating in direct contradiction to its own founding philosophy of equal opportunity. Humour me before we buy the ticket to the US.