Akara, Kulikuli And Our Disconnection From Reality

 By Adekunle Adekoya

Since last weekend, the internet was literally rent asunder over remarks made by the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. In a video which went viral, the First Lady, in company of other ladies of the realm, was seen advising people, especially womenfolk, to engage in cottage enterprises like frying akara for sale, roasting corn for sale, as well as making cakes from groundnut paste. Cakes made from groundnut paste is what we call kulikuli here.

A seemingly honest-to-God advice, you would say, abi? But many Nigerians thought otherwise. Internet content makers invaded Facebook and Tik-Tok, with skits on akara frying, corn roasting, and kulikuli selling. I saw one, against the backdrop of a London street, where corn was being roasted and kulikuli was on sale, with exhortation to viewers not to take the First lady’s advice lightly, as they would smile to the banks if they take up the enterprise.

Muslim-Muslim Ticket: Is Tinubu Having Buyer’s Remorse?

 By Olu Fasan

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nigeria’s Marmite president, is by no means a religious bigot. He is a moderate, even liberal, Muslim, who is surrounded, including in his immediate family, by practising Christians.

*Shettima and his wife; Tinubu and his wife 

However, for self-interested political calculations, Tinubu played the religious card to become president in 2023 by picking a fellow Muslim, Kashim Shettima, as his running-mate. Perhaps more than any other columnist in Nigeria, I wrote severally on the issue. It struck me as a profound mismanagement of Nigeria’s diversity and a monumental betrayal of the national interest to place personal political gain ahead of religious balance and harmony in Nigeria.