Akara, Kulikuli, Corn Roasting: Argument for Sustainable Poverty

It is often said that the pharmacist only manages sickness. He does not cure. Cure would mean a permanent solution. Knowing that your ailment can only be managed, not cured, suggests a certain kind of mental cruelty. But there exists another kind of cruelty which wears the mask of generosity. This sort presents itself at political rallies, distributes cash in small denominations, smiles warmly for the cameras, and then tells the assembled poor that their destiny lies in frying akara or roasting corn by the roadside. This is exactly the sort that our amiable First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, delivered to Nigerian women when she publicly recommended Akara frying, Kulikuli production, and...