Tacking poverty in Nigeria: Onus on crony billionaires, not self-made musicians! By Olu Fasan

Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Nigeria’s irrepressible first lady, recently made two controversial interventions on the country’s socio-economic situation. First, she told the jobless to start selling akara, roasted corn or kuli-kuli to eke out a living. Then, she admonished rich young musicians to help the poor.

She received a torrent of criticism for the comments. Yet they contain a kernel of truth and a fundamental flaw. I explore both here, arguing the remarks are more deeply flawed than valid.

Last month, at a “Renewed Hope Initiative” event in Abuja, Senator Tinubu said: “We are trying to give hope, and to start akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn or kuli-kuli doesn’t take much.” A few weeks later, at another “Renewed Hope” event, she aimed her darts at young rich musicians, urging them to help the poor. “I want to appeal to Burna Boy, Asake, Davido, all of them.

We want you to come together under a foundation to help the poor with your money,” she said. But what’s wrong with those comments? Take the akara/kuli-kuli/roasted-corn remarks.

In truth, there’s nothing amiss in asking the jobless to take up any legitimate business, however small or menial. That’s the advice most of us would give to anyone stuck in unemployment. But when that advice comes from government, of which, in Nigeria, the “first lady” is part, then it connotes something entirely different.

First, it suggests the government is glorifying the informal sector and promoting a poverty economy. In Nigeria, according to the World Bank, over 80 per cent of workers are in the informal sector and over 70 per cent of the population live below the poverty line, which shows a strong link between an informal economy and poverty. Second, Senator Tinubu’s comment portrays a government abandoning its role, because it’s the duty of any government to create the enabling climate and incentives that foster economic prosperity whereby people are either gainfully employed or self-employed through starting and running viable businesses.