Dr. Ope Banwo, founder of Naija Lives Matter (NLM), has questioned the practicality of First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s recent suggestion that Nigerian youths should embrace micro-businesses such as kuli-kuli, akara and other small-scale ventures as pathways to economic empowerment, arguing that the country’s unemployment crisis requires broader and more innovative solutions.
Banwo made the remarks in a statement while reacting to a video in which the First Lady encouraged young Nigerians to consider small businesses as a means of achieving financial independence.
According to him, while there is absolutely nothing wrong with honest labour or operating small businesses, the country’s economic realities demand policies capable of creating employment opportunities for millions of young Nigerians rather than encouraging survival-based enterprises.
“There is dignity in honest labour. I have enormous respect for every Nigerian who wakes up every morning to feed his or her family through legitimate work. An akara seller deserves our respect. A vulcanizer deserves our respect. A mechanic deserves our respect. Every honest hustle has dignity,” he wrote.
He, however, argued that the issue goes beyond the value of petty trading, insisting that the larger question is whether such businesses represent the highest level of economic vision expected from leaders confronting one of Africa’s biggest youth unemployment challenges.
“My issue is this: Is this really the highest level of economic imagination our leaders can offer a nation with tens of millions of unemployed young people? Is this how we plan to solve a mass unemployment situation in our country?” he asked.
Banwo maintained that Nigeria’s unemployment challenge has reached a scale that requires deliberate economic planning rather than what he described as “survival advice.”
According to him, the country is dealing with millions of unemployed graduates, skilled professionals and young people who remain economically stranded years after completing their education.
“The tragedy isn’t that Nigerians sell akara. The tragedy is when our leaders appear to think that is the ceiling of our youths’ ambition or the solution to being unemployed in their millions,” he stated.
He also compared Nigeria’s approach to employment with practices in other countries, noting that nations such as India, South Korea, China and the Philippines have invested heavily in technology, innovation and digital services that now provide employment opportunities for millions of young people.
Banwo argued that Nigeria should equally position its youths to compete globally by investing in technology-driven industries instead of focusing largely on micro-enterprises.
He stressed that today’s digital economy offers opportunities in software development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital marketing, virtual assistance, content creation, cloud computing, prompt engineering and data analytics, many of which can be accessed remotely with the right skills.
According to him, government policies should be designed to prepare Nigerian youths for those opportunities instead of limiting economic conversations to roadside businesses.
He further suggested the establishment of Digital Skills Academies across all local government areas and Innovation Hubs in every federal constituency to equip young Nigerians with globally marketable skills.
Banwo also advocated reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), proposing that corps members spend part of their service year acquiring practical digital skills capable of generating income after graduation.
While acknowledging the importance of micro-enterprises in supporting livelihoods, Banwo maintained that they cannot serve as the country’s principal response to mass unemployment.
He concluded that leadership should focus on creating systems that enable millions of Nigerians to thrive rather than merely survive, insisting that Nigeria’s future prosperity lies in innovation, technology and global competitiveness.
