Nigeria will continue to stagnate – Sam Amadi slams Remi Tinubu’s ‘akara business’ comment

Public policy expert and former chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, Sam Amadi, has criticised First Lady Oluremi Tinubu over her remarks encouraging Nigerians to embrace small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasting corn and producing kulikuli as a means of livelihood.

Reacting in a post on X on Friday, Amadi argued that the First Lady’s approach reflected political calculation rather than good governance.

“The First Lady, like her husband, @officialABAT is an astute politician. She knows what works best for Nigerian politics: give women party leaders brand new cars and give akara money to captive voters who will still vote you on the basis of inducement, ethnicity and religion. I applaud their dexterity,” he wrote.

He, however, maintained that political skill does not necessarily translate into effective governance.

“The only problem is that the competences for being an astute politician do not translate to competences to govern well. Nigeria will continue to stagnate and the poor will be poorer under this astuteness,” Amadi added.

His remarks followed comments by the First Lady after hosting the wives of the 36 state governors in Abuja, where she urged Nigerians not to lose hope despite prevailing economic challenges.

Senator Tinubu said her office had been providing grants, not loans, to support vulnerable Nigerians and enable them to start small businesses, including selling akara, roasting corn and producing kulikuli.

She also highlighted several interventions she said she had personally funded in healthcare, nutrition, agriculture, education, ICT training and social investment, while urging Nigerians to embrace hope under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.