Controversial singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has come to the defense of First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu over her recent comments advising unemployed Nigerian women to consider small-scale businesses like frying akara and selling roasted corn.
The First Lady’s remarks drew heavy criticism online last week after a video of her encouraging women to take up petty trading as a survival strategy went viral. Many Nigerians described the advice as out of touch with the country’s economic realities.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Honest Bunch Podcast, Portable said the backlash was based on a misunderstanding of what the First Lady intended to communicate.
“There’s nothing wrong with what Mama said,” Portable stated. “Nigerians misunderstood what Remi Tinubu meant. She was just telling people to hustle and start from somewhere.”
The singer argued that petty trading has been the backbone of many Nigerian households and remains a legitimate path to financial stability.He pointed out that a significant number of successful Nigerians were raised by parents who funded their children’s education through small-scale businesses.
“If you look at many wealthy people in this country, their mothers trained them by selling pepper, akara and roasted corn,” he said. “That’s how they paid school fees. That’s how they fed the house. So why are people angry now that she mentioned it?”
Portable stressed that there is dignity in all forms of legitimate work, and that looking down on trading contributes to unemployment and entitlement.
“Every big business started small. You don’t start with a factory. You start with a pot of akara, you start with a corn roaster by the roadside. If you blow, you blow,” he added.
“When I went to London, I even saw someone selling corn while using a Benz,” Portable said. “So it’s not about the work. It’s about how you do it and how consistent you are. People abroad respect hustle. Here we will insult the person and still be asking for handouts.”
He maintained that the First Lady was only trying to encourage self-reliance at a time when jobs are scarce and the cost of living is high. According to him, dismissing such advice outright does more harm than good
Senator Remi Tinubu had, while speaking at an empowerment event, urged unemployed women to explore small businesses. She specifically mentioned frying akara and roasting corn as examples of ventures that could help women earn a living and support their families.
The comment immediately sparked debate on social media. Critics argued that the advice trivialized the scale of unemployment in Nigeria and ignored structural issues such as inflation, lack of capital, and poor infrastructure. Supporters, however, said she was simply promoting entrepreneurship and the spirit of self-sufficiency that many Nigerian women are already known for.
Several public figures and civil society groups have since weighed in. An Osun ex-lawmaker publicly backed the First Lady and even announced grants for women to start SMEs. Another group also hailed her commitment to humanitarian services and nation building.
Portable, known for his outspoken personality and rags-to-riches story, has often spoken about grinding and self-made success. He said his own rise in music came from doing “any legitimate work” available before he broke through.
For him, the conversation should not be about whether selling akara is glamorous, but about whether it puts food on the table and builds wealth over time.
“People are forming big-big grammar online, but hunger doesn’t understand grammar,” he said on the podcast. “If selling corn can feed your children and send them to school, then do it. Tomorrow you can expand. That’s how business works.”
He also cautioned young Nigerians against waiting for government jobs alone. “Government cannot employ everybody. We need to create our own jobs. The First Lady was just reminding us of that
Nigeria’s unemployment and underemployment rates remain a major concern, with millions of graduates and non-graduates struggling to find formal work. Small and medium enterprises have consistently been described by economists as critical to job creation, but traders often face challenges including lack of funding, insecurity, and high cost of materials.
By framing akara and corn selling as examples, the First Lady’s comment touched a nerve because those trades are commonly associated with low-income earners. Yet, as Portable and other supporters noted, many families have used exactly those businesses to climb out of poverty.
The debate highlights a larger divide in how Nigerians view work, class, and survival. For critics, the remarks sounded dismissive. For defenders like Portable, they were a blunt reminder of the hustle that built the country.
As the conversation continues online, the singer insists the focus should shift from outrage to action.instead of dragging Mama, let’s support women who want to start small. Give them capital, give them a good environment to sell. That’s what will really help,” Portable said
