Minister of Works David Umahi has defended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s remarks encouraging young Nigerians to embrace vocational skills, saying his own upbringing reflects the value of hard work and self-reliance.
According to a Daily Post report published on Friday, July 3, 2026, Umahi responded to criticism of the First Lady’s suggestion that young people could earn a living by selling akara or roasting maize as part of vocational training.
“My mother was selling akara. My father was a farmer. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that having used that to train me, I will continue to farm at their scale, I will continue to sell akara at their scale,” Umahi said.
He argued that Oluremi Tinubu’s comments were intended to encourage productivity and self-sufficiency, urging Nigerians not to dismiss advice that promotes legitimate means of earning a living.
Umahi said his parents’ modest occupations enabled them to educate him and laid the foundation for his success. He added that children should build on their parents’ sacrifices and improve their economic circumstances rather than remain at the same level.
“Why do we make joke of every genuine advice? Will everybody be a banker at the same time? So, let us be serious, for once,” he said.
