By Nasir Abdulquadri
Nastvafrica
The controversy surrounding the First Lady’s remarks on akara, kulikuli, and other micro-enterprises has, in my view, been widely misunderstood. The issue was never about the dignity or economic value of these businesses. It was about perception, context, and the language of economic empowerment.
Akara, kulikuli, roasted corn, suya, shawarma, popcorn, local snacks, and even modern cake production all belong to the micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) ecosystem. They are productive economic activities that generate employment, stimulate household consumption, create value chains, and contribute directly to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Many millionaires have emerged from these ventures. Therefore, no serious economist dismisses them as insignificant occupations.
The backlash came because many Nigerians interpreted the First Lady’s remarks as suggesting that these were occupations suitable only for the poor or for people whose ambition should merely be survival. Whether that interpretation reflects her intention is another matter entirely. In public communication, perception often becomes reality.
The timing also matters.
Nigeria is currently experiencing severe economic pressure arising from ongoing reforms. Inflation has significantly reduced purchasing power, while the real per capita income of many households has declined. Civil servants whose earnings depend solely on government salaries, pensioners, and those awaiting government contracts or interventions are experiencing enormous financial strain. Under such circumstances, citizens become extremely sensitive to statements that appear to lower their economic aspirations.
Economics teaches us that the true measure of economic progress is not simply the size of GDP but real GDP per capita, per capita output, and ultimately improvements in citizens’ standard of living. Economic growth becomes meaningful only when the average Nigerian produces more, earns more, and enjoys a higher quality of life.
Micro-enterprises like akara and kulikuli production contribute positively to GDP. They increase aggregate output, promote financial inclusion, create employment, and expand domestic commerce. They are therefore part of the productive economy, not symbols of poverty.
During my years as a Retail Banking Executive overseeing six states in the South West at what is today FCMB, formerly FinBank, these entrepreneurs formed one of our most strategic market segments.
Following the financial inclusion policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, banks were encouraged to bring these businesses into the formal financial system. Experience showed that while large corporate and public sector deposits were often volatile, retail customers provided stable liquidity. Many commercial banks today continue to rely heavily on the strength of this segment.
As an entrepreneurship consultant, I also participated in field research involving akara sellers, suya operators, and kulikuli producers. We spent days studying their business models.
Our findings were revealing.
Many generated revenues ranging from ₦50,000 to well above ₦1 million within different trading cycles, depending on location, scale, and product mix.
Observe a busy akara stand where thirty customers queue during breakfast or evening hours. If the average purchase ranges between ₦500 and ₦2,000, the turnover within a few hours can be substantial. Friday night suya businesses in major cities like Lagos and Abuja regularly record impressive daily sales.
The economics of retail business is driven by high inventory turnover, rapid cash flow, consistent consumer demand, and daily liquidity.
Even more interesting is the export opportunity.
Locally, a small pack of kulikuli may sell for just a few hundred naira, yet properly processed, packaged, and exported to diaspora markets, similar products command many times that value. That is the power of value addition, branding, and international market access.
Across Nigeria, countless women running these enterprises have successfully financed their children’s education through universities and polytechnics without government employment or monthly salaries.
Many earn incomes that compare favourably with, and sometimes exceed, those of civil servants who rely solely on minimum wage or fixed public sector earnings.
That is why reducing these ventures to mere survival activities misses their real economic significance.
In my opinion, the controversy could have been avoided through different messaging.
Imagine if the First Lady had said:
“My office will identify and support akara, kulikuli, and roasted corn entrepreneurs across Nigeria. We will provide entrepreneurial training, improve packaging, facilitate branding, connect them to export markets, provide affordable financing through relevant government agencies, and help transform micro-enterprises into globally competitive businesses.”
The substance remains almost identical.
The perception changes completely.
It becomes a message of enterprise development, value chain expansion, productivity enhancement, wealth creation, and economic transformation, rather than one of subsistence.
It is also important to acknowledge that the First Lady has undertaken significant grassroots empowerment programmes across Nigeria by distributing gas cookers, grinding machines, generators, deep freezers, and other productive assets to thousands of women. These interventions demonstrate a broader commitment to economic empowerment and should equally be recognised.
However, productive assets alone do not guarantee sustainable businesses.
The real catalyst is entrepreneurship education.
Beneficiaries require training in bookkeeping, financial literacy, pricing, inventory management, branding, packaging, customer relations, digital marketing, and market penetration. Better still, such training should be delivered in local languages to maximise understanding and implementation.
For years, this has been the approach we have adopted in grassroots entrepreneurship development, and the results consistently show that capacity building produces more sustainable economic outcomes than grants alone.
My appeal, therefore, is simple.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with akara, kulikuli, roasted corn, or similar businesses. They are legitimate contributors to Nigeria’s productive economy. Some generate stronger cash flows than many boutiques, dealerships, and even some formal businesses.
What Nigerians seek is not merely survival.
They seek policies and narratives that inspire economic mobility, wealth creation, higher productivity, rising per capita income, and genuine prosperity.
In periods of economic hardship, words matter as much as policies.
Nasir Abdulquadri
CEO, D-Positive Global Image Services Consult Limited
Entrepreneurship Consultant
Dpositive.ng@gmail.com
Thank you Nasir for a well detailed and unbiased analysis. I hope Nigerians will stop running on emotions rather than reality. Many people in petty trading have more sustainable cash flow than those in the formal sector but unfortunately,the white collar job that many got exposed to has blind folded a whole lot of people.
The first lady is right. She was only showing concern for the population ‘s economic empowerment. We should rather congratulate than condem her.
This your piece is clearly to the point. More ink to your pen.