Disc jockey and activist DJ Switch has criticised First Lady Oluremi Tinubu over her remarks encouraging women to consider small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli kuli as viable sources of income.
The reaction followed comments by the First Lady during a recent interview in which she said micro-enterprises require little startup capital and noted that the Federal Government was supporting such businesses through grants rather than loans.
“We’re trying to give hope, and to start the Akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn, or somebody even said kuli kuli doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant,” Tinubu said.
Responding through her Instagram Stories, DJ Switch, whose real name is Obianuju Udeh, faulted the remarks, arguing that the government’s priority should be creating opportunities and infrastructure that prepare Nigerians for a rapidly evolving technology-driven economy instead of promoting subsistence businesses.
“With absolutely no due respect, Remi! Thunder fire you! While other nations are creating spaces and infrastructure to develop their people for this rapidly technologically advancing world, you want us to sell kuli kuli?” she wrote.
“And the otondo’s behind you are nodding their greedy necks! I can’t express how much I despise you, people.”
The exchange comes amid ongoing public discussions about youth empowerment, job creation and economic opportunities in Nigeria, with successive governments promoting entrepreneurship and small businesses as part of efforts to reduce unemployment and expand financial inclusion.
DJ Switch has remained a prominent public figure since she livestreamed the shooting of unarmed #EndSARS protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020. She later said she went into hiding after alleging that her life was under threat following the incident.
