- Street-pop artist Habeeb Okikiola Badmus, widely known as Portable, has publicly defended First Lady Senator Remi Tinubu against intense social media criticism regarding her recent economic advice to unemployed women.
- Speaking during a popular podcast broadcast, the musician asserted that the public completely misunderstood the First Lady’s message, maintaining there is no structural shame in launching petty trading ventures to secure financial survival.
- Portable cited historical and international examples to validate the profitability of small-scale markets, claiming that many of Nigeria’s current elite were educated through funds generated from micro-businesses.
Controversial Nigerian musician Habeeb Okikiola Badmus, popularly known as Portable, has jumped to the defense of First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu following the widespread criticism that trailed her recent public statements.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the First Lady had faced severe backlash across multiple digital platforms after advising unemployed Nigerian women to embrace micro-entrepreneurship ventures, such as frying akara (bean cakes) and selling roasted corn, as a practical means of survival amid ongoing economic adjustments.
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Appearing as a guest in an interview, the street-pop artist argued that the public reacted with unnecessary hostility because they fundamentally misconstrued the core of the First Lady’s message.
Portable emphasized that encouraging citizens to embrace small-scale trading is an honorable economic pathway rather than an administrative insult to the populace, noting that the informal sector remains the backbone of many Nigerian households.
“Nigerians misunderstood what Remi Tinubu meant. If you look at many wealthy people in this country, their mothers trained them by selling pepper and roasted corn. When I went to London, I even saw someone selling corn while using a Benz.”
— Portable, Nigerian Musician.
The Zazuu Zeh crooner drawing from his personal observations and international travel experiences to back his stance, pointed out that petty trade has historically served as the financial engine that propelled prominent Nigerian professionals through school.
He further illustrated the potential profitability of such micro-ventures by sharing an anecdote from his recent trip to London, United Kingdom, where he claimed to have encountered roadside corn vendors who generated enough revenue to afford luxury Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
Portable’s public support aligns with recent statements from several regional activists and political figures who have emerged to insulate the First Lady from political attacks.
Defenders of the administration argue that self-employment initiatives and Small and Medium Enterprises must be aggressively embraced to mitigate the current unemployment margins.
The artist concluded that if properly managed, minor trading operations can serve as a viable foundation for sustainable wealth creation and family stability across the federation.
