₦airaland Forum

CodeTemplar:
So if you give SMEs power or Solar systems, they will reject it and ask you to dash your children instead?
Your sense is paining you. Walahi.

I'm not aware those complaining are even into SMEs. You want government to give solar systems to people without the skills or do you think people who have solar installations skills would need that kind of grant?
I'm sure you're not blind to see my own personal experience. I'm sure you'd have know the reaction to it if the first lady gave that example too.

Well said Op.. God bless you

mactoni91:
You guys are trying to do Damage control.

What Remi Tinubu said was very irresponsible, reckless and insensitive.

You can see the disconnect between our useless politicians and the people they govern.

No wonder they keep rolling out policies that keeps harming the mass.

Very useless sets.

Remi statement - which was a ANOLOGY/EXAMPLE - wasn’t irresponsible or whatever! It was meant for the intended - small business owner that need small grant to support his/her business - most recipients are actually market women/traders.. for example a grant of N50,000 goes a long long way for a small business.

Again The statement isn’t meant for you or me.. the recipients themselves know ok

Let’s Stop Criticising Everything!

CharlesCNG:
One of the biggest mistakes in Nigerian politics is assuming that everyone lives in the same economic reality.

They don't.

The debate over Senator Oluremi Tinubu's comments about akara and kuli-kuli exposed something deeper than politics. It exposed a disconnect between many middle-class commentators and the daily realities of millions of Nigerians.

To someone earning a salary every month, ₦50,000 may look insignificant.

To a widow selling akara, roasted yam, boiled corn, kuli-kuli or cashew nuts, ₦50,000 can be working capital. It is the difference between buying today's stock with borrowed money and buying it outright. It is the difference between surviving and expanding.

Years ago, I personally experienced this.

I gave five widows ₦30,000 each to buy cashew nuts. They repackaged them into smaller bottles and sachets for resale. Within three months, every one of them had repaid the money. We then revolved the same capital to another five women.

That small intervention did not create software engineers. It created sustainable micro-businesses.

That is the point many critics miss.

Not every Nigerian needs a laptop before they can be economically productive. Nigeria's economy is layered. A graduate may benefit from digital skills and technology. A market woman may benefit more from affordable working capital. A roadside food vendor may simply need enough money to increase inventory.

As food prices have risen, another trend has emerged. Demand for lower-cost prepared foods such as roasted yam, akara, bread-and-akara ("akara burger"wink, boiled maize and similar street foods has increased in many communities because they remain relatively affordable. That, in turn, has created opportunities for thousands of small traders operating with modest capital.

This is not an argument against technology or digital empowerment.

It is an argument against one-size-fits-all thinking.

Successful social policy recognises that poverty is not uniform. The needs of a graduate seeking employment are different from those of a widow selling vegetables, or a hawker financing her daily stock on credit.

Politics is ultimately about understanding people where they are, not where we wish they were.

If the opposition wants to become electorally competitive, it must spend more time listening in markets than arguing on social media.

The grassroots are not asking politicians to solve every problem overnight. Many are asking for something much simpler: enough capital to take the next step.

Sometimes, the journey out of poverty does not begin with millions of naira.

Sometimes, it begins with one basin of akara.

nonsense rubbish long epistle

After una lord and savior first class accountant done make Naira worthless, worse than Cotonou money , u Dey write long epistle to justify mumu ish something

geoworldedu:
Can 50k really do kulikuli and Akara business successfully? You gave 30k to someone some years back. Do you know that the 30k is the 300k of our time?

How can you give people 50k to start Akara and kulikuli business in this Tinubulation? You didn't even buy them the cylinder, the gas 12kg, which is 24k for a start, the wide pots used which cannot be less than 15 to 20k at the moment. The space for the akara business which in these days you have to keep paying and paying over again because of agbero and KAI that will keep chasing you about.

You didn't even factor in the umbrella they need to shield themselves from the sun. You gave them 50k and start saying, go and do Akara business.

If that's how cheap you can start Akara business, me and my guy for don run am tey tey when we were planning to do it some years back. Mtchew.


Please take note everyone, those people selling kunu and Akara by the roadside are far far richer than you doing 9 to 5 jobs o. And their starting capital no be the classmates of six months of your salary o. If you think say e easy, go try am na.

I don't why you are trying to explain what he knows to him

They're doing their job of damage control

Smh

9jatriot:
This is interesting, coming from someone who hates deploying funds to infrastructure, prefering government rather share the money to citizens in the name of them starting small businesses.

Now, the wife of the president gave cash grands to very SME and suggested little things that they can do that such an amount can cover, suddenly, the same folks who only expertise in economics is container corner shop econony now suddenly become harvard trained economics.

This particular guy I quoted once said Nigeria should not have built 3rd mainland bridge. His proposed alternative was that commuters should use ferries instead.

His logic is one of the strangest things I have ever heard. If you think I am lying against him, here is the thread again where he was called out.

https://www.nairaland.com/8078084/popular-obi-supporter-questions-benefit

You don’t give cash to small businesses as government it’s fails

You give it to established businesses to expand and go international creating jobs and increasing tax due to increased profit

The 7 billion dollars we loans dangote he has paid it back

SMEs you provide access to low credit to micro finance banks , set the criteria it’s their jobs to find and find starting businesses

How this is hard for you apc guys to get is beyond me

Great... At least you agree that the government is doing the right thing, at least in the case of Alhaji Dangotte.

Now, to the SME. If you agree to loans to the SMEs, why then did you dare to comment against an individual who gave not loan but different levels of grants to SMEs?

Because it as not done by your lamba king?

mrvitalis:
You don’t give cash to small businesses as government it’s fails

You give it to established businesses to expand and go international creating jobs and increasing tax due to increased profit

The 7 billion dollars we loans dangote he has paid it back

SMEs you provide access to low credit to micro finance banks , set the criteria it’s their jobs to find and find starting businesses

How this is hard for you apc guys to get is beyond me

You are comparing an education that does not know the importance of infrastructure with that of one that knows the value of one? Wonders shall never end.

Let us stick to the topic that brought us here first. You have always said that government should share the money in the name of giving money to businesses to do business even though you were told that government already does that.

My question for you in my first post to you, was what moral ground did you have to condemn Remi considering you are an apostle of share the money instead of infrastructure.

Forget your attempt at deflection and answer that one.

mrvitalis:
Which government is going the right thing ?

Your educational level is sad

Bros the government have failed
Interest rate of loans given to SMEs are too high they can’t compete against international competitors

Nigerians economy is already dead n too low purchasing power any businesses that want growth need to look for customers outside

Interest rate are too high

Bros take your phone
Google international trades on YouTube their are free videos
Focus on government support and it’s impact

Have a nice day

9jatriot:
You are comparing an education that does not know the importance of infrastructure with that of one that knows the value of one? Wonders shall never end.

Let us stick to the topic that brought us here first. You have always said that government should share the money in the name of giving money to businesses to do business even though you were told that government already does that.

My question for you in my first post to you, was what moral ground did you have to condemn Remi considering you are an apostle of share the money instead of infrastructure.

Forget your attempt at deflection and answer that one.

I have never said governments should share money to people
Never said that
My argument have always been provide low interest loans to businesses marking them competitive globally to increase export

By borrowing internationally as a nation n making such funds available for banks so people who meet the criteria can get it

You can not be globally competitive when businesses get loan at 35%

Remi is an idiot who think 50k can start a viable business in todays Nigeria

She is more stupid by thinking political gatherings would produce people who want to start businesses



Note I never said infrastructure is not important no they are very good
But it’s only a fool that would borrow money and build infrastructure that can’t generate revenue only a bigger fool would support a government that does that knowing it would make him poorer

Let us ignore your documented denials to focus on just this.

Did she say 50k can start a fortune 500 company? She gave a grant, if you do not know the meaning of grant, in pidgin palance, it is called dash.
Then based on what the amount can do, she suggested a few practical things that any serious person who is really interested may be able start with such an amount.

Like someone said earlier, there are people who have gone on to build businesses with zero money down. Before you bring any argument about this one, I will give you an example.

If you go to any market, there are boys who hang around waiting for buyers, they often act like they own shops but all they do is ask you what you want and take you to people who sell those things. Give them 1 year, it is a different set you will find because from all those commissions they themselves will open their own small stores.

People have different parts to success. To all someone a fuul for donating money is rather unfortunate.

You are free to support your bloda, but suspending thinking to implement that support is really really unfortunate.

mrvitalis:
...
Remi is an idiot who think 50k can start a viable business in todays Nigeria

She is more stupid by thinking political gatherings would produce people who want to start businesses

....

CharlesCNG:
One of the biggest mistakes in Nigerian politics is assuming that everyone lives in the same economic reality.

They don't.

The debate over Senator Oluremi Tinubu's comments about akara and kuli-kuli exposed something deeper than politics. It exposed a disconnect between many middle-class commentators and the daily realities of millions of Nigerians.

To someone earning a salary every month, ₦50,000 may look insignificant.

To a widow selling akara, roasted yam, boiled corn, kuli-kuli or cashew nuts, ₦50,000 can be working capital. It is the difference between buying today's stock with borrowed money and buying it outright. It is the difference between surviving and expanding.

Years ago, I personally experienced this.

I gave five widows ₦30,000 each to buy cashew nuts. They repackaged them into smaller bottles and sachets for resale. Within three months, every one of them had repaid the money. We then revolved the same capital to another five women.

That small intervention did not create software engineers. It created sustainable micro-businesses.

That is the point many critics miss.

Not every Nigerian needs a laptop before they can be economically productive. Nigeria's economy is layered. A graduate may benefit from digital skills and technology. A market woman may benefit more from affordable working capital. A roadside food vendor may simply need enough money to increase inventory.

As food prices have risen, another trend has emerged. Demand for lower-cost prepared foods such as roasted yam, akara, bread-and-akara ("akara burger"wink, boiled maize and similar street foods has increased in many communities because they remain relatively affordable. That, in turn, has created opportunities for thousands of small traders operating with modest capital.

This is not an argument against technology or digital empowerment.

It is an argument against one-size-fits-all thinking.

Successful social policy recognises that poverty is not uniform. The needs of a graduate seeking employment are different from those of a widow selling vegetables, or a hawker financing her daily stock on credit.

Politics is ultimately about understanding people where they are, not where we wish they were.

If the opposition wants to become electorally competitive, it must spend more time listening in markets than arguing on social media.

The grassroots are not asking politicians to solve every problem overnight. Many are asking for something much simpler: enough capital to take the next step.

Sometimes, the journey out of poverty does not begin with millions of naira.

Sometimes, it begins with one basin of akara.

Do you think that the low income earner enjoy being trapped in that category? You APC urchins must accept that the first lady made a big mess of herself when she made that comment

9jatriot:
Let us ignore your documented denials to focus on just this.

Did she say 50k can start a fortune 500 company? She gave a grant, if you do not know the meaning of grant, in pidgin palance, it is called dash.
Then based on what the amount can do, she suggested a few practical things that any serious person who is really interested may be able start with such an amount.

Like someone said earlier, there are people who have gone on to build businesses with zero money down. Before you bring any argument about this one, I will give you an example.

If you go to any market, there are boys who hang around waiting for buyers, they often act like they own shops but all they do is ask you what you want and take you to people who sell those things. Give them 1 year, it is a different set you will find because from all those commissions they themselves will open their own small stores.

People have different parts to success. To all someone a fuul for donating money is rather unfortunate.

You are free to support your bloda, but suspending thinking to implement that support is really really unfortunate.

To start a business their must be need for it and opportunity , we don’t lack Akara sellers or roasted corn sellers … those women are even from the villages

$30 that’s 50k is what you want someone to use and start a business ?

Jonathan was given thousands of Nigerians $86,000 as grant during sure p

Chai

Since you are so focused on the akara even though the media confirmed that was not only what she (individual) gave. Show me the GEJ own (as an individual) gave.

Are you saying Akara is not an indemand product?

Many of you guys are just fake arm chair critics, thrilled only when lamba king drops lamba.


Anyway, money for infrastructure will not be shared sha...

I still have nightmares when I remember a human being is against and to buttress his point said 3rd mainland bridge was better off with 'fairys'.... I do not want to be seen talking with someone whose is proud of such mentality.

mrvitalis:
To start a business their must be need for it and opportunity , we don’t lack Akara sellers or roasted corn sellers … those women are even from the villages

$30 that’s 50k is what you want someone to use and start a business ?

Jonathan was given thousands of Nigerians $86,000 as grant during sure p

Chai

9jatriot:
Since you are so focused on the akara even though the media confirmed that was not only what she (individual) gave. Show me the GEJ own (as an individual) gave.

Are you saying Akara is not an indemand product?

Many of you guys are just fake arm chair critics, thrilled only when lamba king drops lamba.


Anyway, money for infrastructure will not be shared sha...

I still have nightmares when I remember a human being is against and to buttress his point said 3rd mainland bridge was better off with 'fairys'.... I do not want to be seen talking with someone whose is proud of such mentality.

You have problem with English comprehension , I’m done with this rubbish

Blocked

mactoni91:
You guys are trying to do Damage control.

What Remi Tinubu said was very irresponsible, reckless and insensitive.

You can see the disconnect between our useless politicians and the people they govern.

No wonder they keep rolling out policies that keeps harming the mass.

Very useless sets.

Sincerely. I was thinking Nigeria youth have sense until I started reading things on social media. How what remi said irresponsible. Remi faced reality of our time, but you appreciate deceit and lies.

I culled this from another platform.

If there is anything I like about Igbo people is their entrepreneur spirit. I've seen many Igbo youth who came to Lagos with nothing manouvre there way to financial prosperity. I've seen many engage in petty trading, hawking by the roadside with no shame. These are trades that an average Yoruba man would not want to do.

There's a particular canteen back then we used to eat when we are broke in school, 2 young Igbo guys own it, they sell concortion rice, pap and bean and other stuff, am sure their initial setup would be less than 20k. Some year later when I visited the area to greet my Landlord, those young guys has transformed into a modern restaurant with staff and touch of excellence.

I learn a great deal from that experience. An entrepreneur who doesn't know how utilize small amount will waste big money when it sees one.

It's surprising to see Igbo with goal getter spirit coming down to disparage Remi Tinubu on 50k empowerment when the money their parents used to start a thriving business today is less than 10k.

See how politics is causing some region their identity

It is just unfortunate. We are this unreasonable. Because of this, I when I was going out yesterday, I started taken note of people selling things. I saw many that their trade is not upto 50k. I saw one only selling groundnut and cucumber alone at alapere. I saw one selling only Okro and many. Haa let's be sensible. If Remi can give like 500 people that actually needs this money per state and comeback to the the economy return it will derive.

mactoni91:
You guys are trying to do Damage control.

What Remi Tinubu said was very irresponsible, reckless and insensitive.

You can see the disconnect between our useless politicians and the people they govern.

No wonder they keep rolling out policies that keeps harming the mass.

Very useless sets.

The real disconnect is not between government and the grassroots. It is between your interpretation of the remarks and what was actually being argued.

You call the comments "irresponsible, reckless and insensitive," yet you have not addressed a single point I made.

Did you dispute that many petty traders operate with less than ₦20,000 worth of stock?

Did you dispute that thousands of roadside food vendors buy goods on credit every morning because they lack working capital?

Did you dispute my real-life example of widows who turned ₦30,000 into sustainable micro-businesses?

No. Instead, you responded to a narrative you had already formed in your head.

Ironically, that is what is truly irresponsible.

An irresponsible response is one that condemns without first understanding. A reckless response is one that substitutes outrage for analysis. An insensitive response is one that dismisses the economic reality of millions of Nigerians because it does not fit a preferred political narrative.

You may disagree with the First Lady's approach, and that is perfectly legitimate. But don't pretend that micro-capital cannot transform lives simply because it is politically inconvenient to admit it.

The grassroots economy does not operate on hashtags. It operates on working capital, inventory turnover and daily cash flow. That is the reality I addressed. If you disagree, challenge those facts—not an imaginary argument.

playapayaski:
No explanation can replace or correct what has been said. It's bad
Government: motivate and reassure you people, encourage them, little and humble beginnings is good, YES. but going into specifics " akara and corn " that's mockery!!!
Especially coming from a failed government that just rewarded APC women leaders hundreds of millions worth vehicles for what now
I don't have an issue with motivation or encouragement but it should never be used as a tool for insult or mockery.. that statement right there is OUTRIGHT DISRESPECTFUL TO NIGERIANS.
reminds me of the song by the GOAT, THE ICON, MJ "all I wanna say is that, they don't really care about us".

Again, you are responding to your interpretation, not necessarily to what was actually said.

You have concluded that mentioning akara and corn is "mockery." But why? Is there something inherently degrading about honest, small-scale businesses?

Millions of hardworking Nigerians feed their families every day by selling akara, roasted corn, roasted yam, kuli-kuli, fruits, vegetables and other low-capital products. These are dignified livelihoods. Calling attention to them is not automatically an insult.

The irony is that many critics who claim to be defending the poor often end up belittling the very occupations they say they are protecting.

You also shifted the discussion to government spending on party leaders. Whether that criticism is valid or not is a separate issue. It does not answer the point I made about micro-capital and grassroots enterprise.

My article was not about whether every government policy has succeeded. It was about a simple economic reality: for someone operating with very little capital, ₦50,000 can genuinely make a meaningful difference.

If you disagree with that proposition, explain why.

But simply asserting that the words "akara" and "corn" amount to mockery does not make it so. Sometimes people hear contempt because they have already assumed contempt was intended.

We can and should debate policies robustly. But we should be careful not to confuse our interpretation of a statement with the only possible meaning of that statement.

Achor1111:
Trash.
Billions will be wasted in vain, and you advise people you tax to finance your government to start akara business, are you okay?
Data boy, are you okay?

My brother, calm down. Abuse is not an economic argument.

Calling someone “data boy” does not change the reality that millions of Nigerians operate micro-businesses with very small capital.

You are still responding emotionally, not analytically.

Nobody said every Nigerian should abandon education and start selling akara. Nobody said government should stop building infrastructure, creating jobs or supporting industry. The point is simple: for a poor trader, widow or hawker, ₦50,000 can be productive working capital.

If that basic point annoys you, then the problem is not akara. The problem is your disconnect from the grassroots economy.

You are angry because “akara” was mentioned, but the woman selling akara is not ashamed of her business. It is people like you, pretending to defend her, who are treating her livelihood like an insult.

That is the real trash here: confusing outrage with intelligence and insult with argument.

TenQ:
The problem not solved by the Government is the several million graduates living from hands to mouth.
N50k is not the kind of help they are looking for.

Government failed to realise that the Olodo Uprising is caused by them

This is exactly the false choice I have been talking about.

Who said helping a widow selling akara means abandoning unemployed graduates?

Who said a micro-enterprise grant is a substitute for graduate employment?

Nigeria has different categories of vulnerable people, and they require different interventions.

An unemployed graduate needs economic growth, investment, skills development and quality jobs.

A market woman needs affordable working capital.

A roadside food vendor needs inventory.

A farmer may need seedlings and fertilizer.

A transport operator may need cheaper fuel or vehicle finance.

Good governance is not about designing **one programme for everyone**. It is about matching solutions to different problems.

Ironically, your argument reinforces my point. You have focused entirely on graduates while overlooking the millions of Nigerians who are not graduates but are struggling to survive through micro-businesses.

Should government ignore them because they do not have university degrees?

The poor are not a homogeneous group.

The woman frying akara is not competing with the graduate looking for a software engineering job. They have different challenges, and sensible public policy recognises that.

That is why I said Nigeria's economy is layered. Recognising the needs of one group does not amount to neglecting another.

chidiokay:
@charlesCNG you and your likes are in no position to talk about The poor life, or school us 50k will give them a goodlife in these present economy 5k pepper can't last a family of 3 up to three 4 days

No matter how you guyz try to spin it or speak motivationally ior sweeten the narratives ..50k as falling short of what anyone can ascribe as capital

POS is a very snall busine, 50k dare not start it,how much is the machine
Grinding pepper for people is a very small business 50k can not start it

when last did you charles find kuli kuli .. or today kids that will cry mummy buy me kuli kuli

Now lets go to the feasibility study
1. Can 50k really setup a akara business fully ... 6kg gas with filled gas is already over 30k

she is left with 20k .. is it that 20k she will buy frying pot, gllon of oil, pepper, tray and big table to market

please lets be reasonable, you drive big cars, follow polticians enjoy goodies then you want to claim you know the struggles of the poor more than some of us

i have a place i buy akara, i know the woman, she can't change closes, i see her children one as started yahoo nd is that boy that is touching that family small smal @least the sisters now change clothes

iEverybody can not be rich we know, But if government or someone like the 1st lady will do an empower it should be giving people business that will lift them from the undesirable condition, not empowerment that resonate sustainability of theundesired condition

Lets no motivational speaker or suit boiz fool you, 50k capital what profit can cone of it max that can guarantee two standard meal a day from profit nd the business no go crumble ... i know these women selling akara, we have them around ..

With cost gas now, Most older women use firewood ...conern the health hazard to their eye n face

Govt should take people out of Poverty nii not coach people how to sustain in poverty.
do you know how mich hospital bill cost now? Trust Remi Tinubu, she will reply drink herb naw. They always have these responses to make poverty look good on you

This is one of the better responses because you've actually raised practical issues instead of simply throwing insults.

Where I think you've misunderstood my position is that you've argued against a claim I never made.

I never said ₦50,000 is enough to establish every business from scratch.

I never said it can fully equip a brand-new POS business.

I never said it will buy a grinding machine, a gas cylinder, fryer, table, trays and inventory all at once.

Those are your assumptions—not my argument.

My point was much narrower: **₦50,000 can be meaningful working capital for many existing micro-businesses.**

There is a huge difference between **start-up capital** and **working capital**.

Take the akara seller you mentioned. Many already have a stove, frying pan, table and customer base. Their biggest daily challenge is often buying beans, oil, onions and other inputs. For someone in that position, additional working capital can increase production, reduce reliance on credit, or improve cash flow.

The same applies to the five widows I referred to. I didn't give them ₦30,000 to build factories. They already knew how to trade. The money helped them buy stock, repackage it and sell. Within three months they repaid it, and the same money went to another five women.

You also said government should lift people out of poverty rather than sustain them in it.

I agree.

But lifting people out of poverty is usually a journey, not a single event.

Micro-enterprises are one of the oldest pathways out of poverty. Around the world, millions of families have improved their income through small businesses that gradually grew over time. Not every successful entrepreneur started with millions in capital.

Finally, you questioned whether I understand the struggles of the poor.

I'll simply refer you to my own experience. Years ago, I personally funded a revolving micro-loan for widows with ₦30,000 each. I didn't read about it in a policy paper—I watched it work. The same capital circulated from one group of women to another because small amounts of productive capital, when properly used, can have a real impact.

If your argument is that government should also pursue industrialisation, create graduate jobs, improve healthcare and reduce inflation, then we agree completely.

But that doesn't make micro-capital useless.

The mistake is treating these as mutually exclusive. A serious government should do both: pursue long-term economic reforms **and** provide targeted support for people whose businesses can genuinely benefit from relatively modest injections of working capital.

BATified2023:
we know your type

Online billionaire

Nothing is ever enough, but people with less are making money with what u proud broke mofos look down on

The woman selling akara at my junction doesn't have up to 300k to start the business

There is a huge difference between start-up capital and working capital.

Take the akara seller you mentioned. Many already have a stove, frying pan, table and customer base. Their biggest daily challenge is often buying beans, oil, onions and other inputs. For someone in that position, additional working capital can increase production, reduce reliance on credit, or improve cash flow.
I interact with these people daily so i know what am talking about.

henrybomb:
Use your head too
Ask that woman and come back here to tell us that it is 50k she use to start that business.

The space is free right?
She stole cylinder right?
The frying pan is free too?
The beans she planted in her backyard?

Abeg talk another thing

This is exactly where you are missing the point.

Nobody said ₦50,000 is enough to start every akara business from zero.

Nobody said the space is free.

Nobody said the cylinder, frying pan, table, tray, oil and beans cost nothing.

That is **start-up capital**.

What I am talking about is **working capital**.

If a woman already has her frying pan, small table, stove, customers and selling spot, ₦50,000 can help her buy more beans, oil, pepper, onions and packaging. It can help her stop buying inputs on credit. It can help her increase daily production and improve her turnover.

That is empowerment.

You are arguing as if every poor trader is starting from zero. Many are not. Many already have tiny businesses but are trapped because their capital is too small.

So the real question is not whether ₦50,000 can build a complete business from scratch.

The real question is whether ₦50,000 can strengthen an existing micro-business.

The answer is yes.

That is the difference between understanding grassroots economics and just shouting “use your head.”

EmpressTitan:
Thank you op for your micro and macro analogy of the Nigerian economy albeit image laundry of this failed administration... IMF Blueprint or should we call it the Bread and Circuses. What i don't get is the continued charade of your likes insulting the collective consciousness and sensitivity of Nigerians?

Thank you. But again, this response avoids the central argument.

Calling it “image laundry,” “IMF blueprint,” or “bread and circuses” may sound dramatic, but it does not answer the economic point I made.

My argument is simple: Nigeria’s economy has layers. Macro reforms matter, but micro-capital also matters. A government can pursue big structural reforms and still support petty traders, widows, hawkers and market women with small working capital.

That is not insulting Nigerians. What is insulting is pretending that small traders do not exist, or that their businesses are too beneath serious policy discussion.

If ₦50,000 helps a widow buy stock without borrowing, increases her daily turnover, or keeps her children feeding while bigger reforms take root, that is not “bread and circuses.” That is practical grassroots support.

You may dislike the administration. That is your right. But dislike should not make us deny basic economic reality.

mastermaestro:
Nigeria is neither an akara nor a corn republic. Before now it was rice for every problem. Is this how you and your paid masters plan to repair the economy you have torn apart? Is this how you folks plan to fix inflation? Is this how you folks plan to fix farming crisis occasion by insecurity in many rural agrarian communities?

I won't call the first lady's reckless statement a miscarriage of speech. It is actually their mission. Impoverish the people and render them useless. Then turn them into pliable tools for electoral benefits.

No wonder Nigeria has remained an underdeveloping country. With bought, biased or gullible people like you, this country has reached a dead end. It's an irredeemable entity. In this century, a nation's first lady boldly advocates petty corn and akara business as the pathway out of the damage her husband does to the country daily, and someone somewhere thinks it makes any sense! Omo!!!! Omo!!!

I spit!!!!!

The irony is that your entire response is built on a straw man.

Who said Nigeria should become an "akara republic"?

Who said petty trading is the only economic policy?

Who said micro-enterprise support replaces agricultural reform, industrialisation, infrastructure, security or inflation control?

You have spent several paragraphs attacking arguments that nobody made.

That is the hallmark of ideological intoxication—arguing with the version of your opponent that exists only in your head.

You accuse me of insulting Nigerians, yet your response insults millions of honest Nigerians who earn a living selling akara, roasted corn, vegetables, fruits, kuli-kuli and countless other micro-businesses. Those occupations are not a national disgrace. They are legitimate livelihoods.

You also accuse me of defending inflation. Kindly point out where I said inflation should not be tackled. My article explicitly distinguished between **macro-economic reforms** and **micro-economic interventions**. A serious government must pursue both. Supporting a petty trader with working capital does not mean abandoning structural reforms. Those are complementary policies, not mutually exclusive ones.

As for calling me "bought," "biased" or "gullible," that is usually what people resort to when they cannot dismantle the argument before them. It is easier to attack the person than to answer the economics.

The most revealing part of your comment is this: you seem to believe that because a business is small, it has no value. Yet across Nigeria, millions of households survive because of those very enterprises. Dismissing them does not make you intellectually superior; it simply shows how disconnected you are from the grassroots economy you claim to defend.

So before shouting "I spit!", perhaps spend more time addressing the actual argument instead of the imaginary one. Passion is not a substitute for reasoning, and outrage is not evidence.

WriterX:
Dear Author,

Your post makes an emotional case, but it misses the larger economic issue.

No one is disputing that ₦30,000 or ₦50,000 can help a widow restock her goods or keep a small business afloat.

That has never been the point. The concern is the attempt to redefine economic survival as economic progress.

There is dignity in selling akara, roasted corn, or kuli-kuli. Honest labour should always be respected, I myself, have been there and I speak as a graduate as well.

What is unacceptable is presenting these subsistence businesses as the standard of hope in Africa's largest economy.

Nigeria has over 130 million people living in multidimensional poverty, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The World Bank has also warned that millions more Nigerians have slipped into poverty in recent years as inflation and the cost of living have risen.

Against this backdrop, the aspiration of government should be to move citizens beyond survival—not simply make survival slightly easier.

You argue that "not everyone needs a laptop."

That is true but neither should everyone be expected to settle for roadside trading because the economy has failed to create enough productive jobs.

A nation develops when it expands manufacturing, agriculture, technology, healthcare, education, and industry—not when it celebrates the growth of subsistence enterprises born out of hardship.

Your example of helping five widows is commendable. It demonstrates compassion at a personal level. But public policy must be judged by a different standard.

Permit me to ask a few honest questions as follows

If roadside trading is the model of economic hope, why are political leaders not encouraging their own children to pursue it?

Why do those in government invest heavily in elite education, professional careers, and large-scale businesses for their families
while telling ordinary Nigerians that selling akara is enough?

Why has government revenue increased significantly since subsidy removal, yet millions still struggle with inflation,
insecurity, poor electricity, and declining purchasing power?

The issue has never been about looking down on akara sellers.

It is about refusing to lower the aspirations of over 200 million Nigerians.

There is a profound difference between helping people survive and creating conditions for them to prosper. Nigerians deserve policies that enable them to build businesses, create jobs, accumulate wealth, and improve their standard of living—not merely survive another day.

That is the debate. And that is the standard by which any serious economic policy should be judged.

Dear Sir,

This is a thoughtful response, but I think it still attacks a position I did not take.

First, I agree with you that Nigeria must aim higher than survival. No serious person should argue that selling akara or roasted corn is the ultimate destination for Africa’s largest economy. A nation must build manufacturing, agriculture, technology, healthcare, education, infrastructure and productive jobs.

But that was never my argument.

My point was that economic policy must operate at different levels. Macro reforms are necessary, but micro-support is also necessary. The fact that Nigeria needs factories does not mean the woman selling akara today should be ignored until those factories arrive.

You said ₦50,000 can help a widow restock her goods. That is exactly my point.

For that widow, restocking is not “lowering aspiration.” It is keeping her business alive, reducing dependence on credit, feeding her children and possibly growing from survival to stability.

No one is presenting roadside trading as the national development model. The argument is that, in a country where NBS reported 133 million people as multidimensionally poor, government interventions must recognise the immediate realities of poor households while broader reforms continue.

You also asked why leaders do not encourage their own children to sell akara. But that question misses the nature of targeted intervention. A scholarship is useful to a student. A tractor is useful to a farmer. Working capital is useful to a petty trader. Different people need different tools at different stages.

The real issue is not whether every Nigerian should sell akara. The real issue is whether a person already trading at that level can be strengthened by small capital. The answer is yes.

Even the World Bank’s recent analysis accepts that high inflation has eroded purchasing power and worsened poverty pressures, while also calling for both structural reforms and stronger social protection. That means Nigeria needs long-term growth and immediate cushioning at the same time.

So I agree with your larger aspiration. Nigeria must move people beyond survival. But people do not leap from poverty to prosperity in one jump. For many, the first step is stabilising the small livelihood they already have.

That is not celebrating poverty.

That is recognising reality while working toward something better.

Didijiji:
nonsense rubbish long epistle

After una lord and savior first class accountant done make Naira worthless, worse than Cotonou money , u Dey write long epistle to justify mumu ish something

This is not a rebuttal. This is noise wearing slippers.

If you disagree, point to the specific argument you are challenging.

Did I say the naira is strong? No.

Did I say inflation is not painful? No.

Did I say government has solved all economic problems? No.

My argument was simple: small working capital can help existing micro-businesses. If you cannot respond to that point, just say so.

Throwing “mumu,” “epistle,” and “rubbish” around does not make you intelligent. It only shows that when the argument becomes too heavy, insult becomes your walking stick.

mrvitalis:
You don’t give cash to small businesses as government it’s fails

You give it to established businesses to expand and go international creating jobs and increasing tax due to increased profit

The 7 billion dollars we loans dangote he has paid it back

SMEs you provide access to low credit to micro finance banks , set the criteria it’s their jobs to find and find starting businesses

How this is hard for you apc guys to get is beyond me

This is a false choice.

A serious economy does not choose between supporting big businesses and supporting micro-businesses. It does both.

Yes, established businesses need access to finance to expand, export, create jobs and pay more taxes. Nobody disputes that.

Yes, SMEs should have access to affordable credit through banks, microfinance institutions and development finance channels. Nobody disputes that either.

But that does not mean direct grants or small working-capital support to vulnerable micro-traders are useless.

You are mixing up different policy tools.

A factory owner needs expansion finance.

A growing SME may need low-interest credit.

A widow selling food in a market may need a small grant or revolving capital because she may not qualify for bank credit, may lack collateral, and may already be too financially fragile to take on debt.

Different economic actors require different interventions.

That is what seems hard for some of you to understand.

The Dangote example actually proves the point: government-backed finance can support large enterprise. But if you accept that big businesses can receive targeted support because of their economic role, why is it suddenly foolish when the smallest businesses receive targeted support according to their own scale?

Nobody said ₦50,000 will turn a petty trader into Dangote overnight. The point is that it can reduce daily borrowing, increase stock, improve turnover and keep a poor household economically active.

That is not bad economics. That is targeted grassroots support.

RolexOfGeneva:
Do you think that the low income earner enjoy being trapped in that category? You APC urchins must accept that the first lady made a big mess of herself when she made that comment

Nobody said low-income earners enjoy being trapped there.

That is exactly why the discussion is about support, capital and gradual movement from survival to stability.

What you are doing is confusing recognition of reality with celebration of poverty.

If a woman is already selling akara, giving her working capital is not telling her to remain poor. It is helping her earn more from the economic activity she already understands.

You may dislike the First Lady. That is your right. But calling people “urchins” does not answer the point.

The real mess is pretending to defend poor people while treating their honest livelihoods as something too shameful to even mention.

Oga is talking of roadside vendors that in Abuja AEPB won't allow them to operate.
In the name of hawking prohibition; it's this low class vendors that suffer more in the hands of environmental officers and task forces.
A woman made an analysis that one need minimum of 100k to start Akara business and that exclude acquiring location to use for frying and selling.
What triggered the angers of Nigerians is the level of reckless spending by those in power for convoys of cars, unnecessary travels. The first lady told Nigerians that they are rich and don't need Nigeria money during a thanksgiving but receive billions of naira official cars in an office that's unconstitutional, sharing of tear leather campaign vehicles. If they've done well in first tenure; their works will campaign for them but they're busy muzzling opposition instead of showcasing their achievement that should earn them a second tenure.

[quote author=CharlesCNG post=139861011]

This is one of the better responses because you've actually raised practical issues instead of simply throwing insults.

Where I think you've misunduerstood my position is that you've argued against a claim I never made.

I never said ₦50,000 is enough to establish every business from scratch.

iAnd if you read what i wrote their is no where i said you said it, i can't understand you because you are trying to spin the narrative iwatch the 1st lady video .....she was refering to people that have nothing doing and startup .. so you are here just like sunday dare nd evrry Tinubu boiz tryin to spin the narratiive

My point was much narrower: **₦50,000 can be meaningful working capital for many existing micro-businesses.**

well, your point here is inappropriate because the 1st lady was referring to those thst have no job,, let me quote her small to give a context
we are tryin to give hope, nd START akara business does takebmuch money eeh to start roasting"
thats her word verbally, buh you are here spinning it into existing business n support grant

She spoke in english, why Tinubu boiz are over the place trying to translate english to english sound ridiculous to me, if she had said igbo or hausa maybe i for think interpreteters did her mischief

There is a huge difference between **start-up capital** and **working capital*

*.

imagine you are already taking me to class, over a misrepresentation you want to explain working capital to me nairaland

Take the akara seller you mentioned. Many already have a stove, frying pan, table and customer base. Their biggest daily challenge is often buying beans, oil, onions and other inputs. For someone in that position, additional working capital can increase production, reduce reliance on credit, or improve cash flow.

Uncle no Maybe, she is talking about startup and at this point i think it time you listen to her directly so you can stay within her context. smh

But lifting people out of poverty is usually a journey, not a single

i agree its a journey ! But this govt came to power since 2023 rite, it as being a journey or we are on a journey by default however the policies nd prioroty of the govt does it reflect its going to lift peoole out .. check the stat bro, what we have is more people falling into poverty pool,
Yoruba people say sunday wey go sweet na from friday you go don dey know .. if their is an agenda to lift people out of poverty trust me, there are indexes to know, there are work in progresss i will see nd i will be a promoter for this govt.

Let me burst your bubble, there is nothing Tinubu is doing or building now that in the next 4yrs will solve any major existing problem or minimize cost of living for the poor.

Micro-enterprises are one of the oldest pathways out of poverty. Around the world, millions of families have improved their income through small businesses that gradually grew over time. Not every successful entrepreneur started with millions in capital.

Gud ! you just talk of SMES now, with the present state of the country, lemme ask
1. how easy is it to get capital anywhere, if you can't contribute it yourself,, have you seen interest on loan
Do you know the boost Power can bring to SMEs,, is it available, now their was a time in Nigeria at night barbers, road side food sellers can afford to ON generator down till they close buh now the cost of fuel .do you know the implication of high cost of energy on SMEs n decline it brings to sales becos client find darkness less alluring

Finally, you questioned whether I understand the struggles of the poor.

I'll simply refer you to my own experience. Years ago, I personally funded a revolving micro-loan for widows with ₦30,000 each. I didn't read about it in a policy paper—I watched it work. The same capital circulated from one group of women to another because small amounts of productive capital, when properly used, can have a real impact.

Great, God bless you sir ! You said years ago perhaps when fuel was #197, minimum wage 30k and the dollars was less than #500 .. Oga 30k is more valuable than 70k of today.
i

aporeciate what you did buh you cant use that time to justify our repality today
[quote]If your argument is that government should also pursue industrialisation, create graduate jobs, improve healthcare and reduce inflation, then we agree completely.
But that doesn't make micro-capital useless.

No ! don't patronize me, there is nowhere i discarded or say SMEs is useless, infact i strongly beliefe SMEs are the major drive of an economy buh no be like akara business, kulikuli nd roasting corn they contribute to GDP naw ! you must understand i know this things around economics

The mistake is treating these as mutually exclusive. A serious government should do both: pursue long-term economic reforms **and** provide targeted support for people whose businesses can genuinely benefit from relatively modest injections of working capital.

Lets me rephrase into what people like me are staying, Life thrives smoothly on Balance,
In a country where govt is not in "continuity" there is no ongoing concen in policies nd direction, its a refresh with every new govt we had since '99 sole aims at long term project is just intentionally suffering the populace, because govt ignore immediate needs of the people, existing bad roads are immediate needs that need to be fix instead govt ask people to be waiting for coastal road
primary health care centres in poor state are immediate needs of the people, but the govt allocation expended funds don't reflect commitment
Industrialization decline, these are not things govt should ignore and believe long term reforms we take care of it.
someone in the hospital that needs operation calls you nd you told the person gimme till december when i collect xmas bonus i will pay your bills .. thst us what Tinubu is doing to us
The kind of govt we run here, No govt can sell long term crap to me, ..remember vision 2020 then, every govt have has given us long term lamba or is it 7-point agenda abeggi

is

CharlesCNG:
This is exactly the false choice I have been talking about.

Who said helping a widow selling akara means abandoning unemployed graduates?

Who said a micro-enterprise grant is a substitute for graduate employment?

Nigeria has different categories of vulnerable people, and they require different interventions.

An unemployed graduate needs economic growth, investment, skills development and quality jobs.

A market woman needs affordable working capital.

A roadside food vendor needs inventory.

A farmer may need seedlings and fertilizer.

A transport operator may need cheaper fuel or vehicle finance.

Good governance is not about designing **one programme for everyone**. It is about matching solutions to different problems.

Ironically, your argument reinforces my point. You have focused entirely on graduates while overlooking the millions of Nigerians who are not graduates but are struggling to survive through micro-businesses.

Should government ignore them because they do not have university degrees?

The poor are not a homogeneous group.

The woman frying akara is not competing with the graduate looking for a software engineering job. They have different challenges, and sensible public policy recognises that.

That is why I said Nigeria's economy is layered. Recognising the needs of one group does not amount to neglecting another.

You said:

Ironically, your argument reinforces my point. You have focused entirely on graduates while overlooking the millions of Nigerians who are not graduates but are struggling to survive through micro-businesses.

Even though some people can be helped with N50k, that is just surface treatment of the deep problem of Nigeria.

Unfortunately, the most productive part of job creation is not things like frying akara or selling retail banana amd plantain but in manufacturing and producing things that will slow down our importation of almost everything we consume.

I promise you that in a short while, the demography our politiciyhave neglected will find things like armed robber, 419 and the likes to do. Tell me how you will stop an intelligent sophisticated thief from robbing a bank!

Nobody is saying that Government should not cater for the Opa seller, but it is surface treatment of the problem at hand.