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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

‘Akara seller better than prostitute’, APC youth defends Remi Tinubu

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • An APC youth defended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu's advice on petty trading, stating that selling akara is preferable to being a prostitute.
  • The youth leader, responding to backlash, argued that such small businesses are noble and better than engaging in illicit activities.
  • He also highlighted the First Lady's broader empowerment efforts, including substantial donations to health initiatives, to contextualize her remarks.

An unnamed youth leader within Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu's controversial advice encouraging women to engage in petty trading like selling akara (a local bean cake) or kuli-kuli. The youth leader, whose identity could not be immediately verified, spoke at a press conference in Abuja, asserting that such small businesses are a noble pursuit, far better than being labeled a prostitute or engaging in criminal activities.

Is it not better to be noble than to be doing filthy things? It better they know you as an akara seller than to be known as an armed robber?

— APC youth leaderDefending First Lady Oluremi Tinubu's advice on petty trading.

His defense comes amidst widespread criticism of the First Lady's remarks, which many perceived as insensitive to the economic struggles of Nigerians. The youth leader, wearing a cap similar to those associated with President Bola Tinubu, argued that it is "better to be noble than to be doing filthy things." He specifically contrasted selling akara and kuli-kuli with being an armed robber, or a woman being known as a prostitute versus a body seller or "hookup girl."

Furthermore, the youth leader sought to contextualize the First Lady's comments by detailing her significant financial contributions to various causes. He cited donations of N2 billion to tuberculosis cases, N1 billion for malnutrition, and N1.5 billion for cancer and hypertension treatment. He also mentioned her calls for state first ladies to empower more women, suggesting these broader empowerment initiatives were being overlooked due to the focus on the akara remark.

It is better for a woman to be known as a kuli-kuli seller than to be labelled a prostitute, or a body seller tagged a hookup girl, hookup woman or sugar mum.

— APC youth leaderElaborating on the perceived dignity of small businesses.

"So we shouldn’t look down on someone selling akara. My mother sells akara," he added, personalizing the defense. The comments, captured in a video that has circulated widely on social media, aim to reframe the First Lady's advice as encouragement for women to find dignity and economic independence through modest entrepreneurial endeavors, rather than a dismissal of their struggles.

So we shouldn’t look down on someone selling akara. My mother sells akara.

— APC youth leaderPersonalizing the defense of the First Lady's remarks.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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