Reno Omokri Replies X User Who Asked Him To Withdraw His Children From School & Empower Them With Roadside Businesses

Former presidential aide and Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, Reno Omokri, has responded to an X user who challenged him to withdraw his children from school and empower them with roadside businesses after he praised street food vending as a viable means of livelihood.

The exchange began after Omokri shared a post highlighting the scale of informal entrepreneurship in Turkey, noting that an estimated seven million people engage in roadside street food businesses.

"I bought roadside corn in Istanbul. Seven million people sell roadside street food in Turkey. That's 20 per cent of their workforce. Fact-check me. Having your own roadside food business is far better than joblessness," Omokri wrote.

Reacting to the post, an X user identified as Ahmad Muh Med suggested that Omokri should set an example by taking his own children out of school and empowering them with businesses such as corn roasting and Ankara fabric trading.

"Drop your children out of school and empower them with such business," the user wrote.

In a lengthy response, Omokri rejected the suggestion, arguing that families occupy different economic and social levels and that upward mobility is often the result of sacrifices made over generations.

"Emotional outbursts do not produce rational economic outcomes. Just as my children are not on the same economic level as the offspring of Alhaji Dangote, so there exist people who may not be on the same social station as my children," he said.

According to Omokri, governments are expected to create opportunities that enable citizens to improve their circumstances, but individuals and families also have responsibilities in building wealth and securing a better future for their children.

"It is not the government's responsibility to make you a millionaire. However, it is the duty of the government to create opportunities by which you can make yourself a success and provide a ladder for your children to climb to the next social cadre," he stated.

The former presidential aide further referenced his family background, saying his forebears benefited from educational opportunities long before Nigeria's independence and that his current status was built on sacrifices made by previous generations.

Omokri also defended small-scale businesses, maintaining that honest labour should not be looked down upon, especially in the face of unemployment. 

He cited examples from Turkey and Egyptian-born businessman Mohammed Al-Fayed, who reportedly began life as a street food vendor before becoming a billionaire and owner of the luxury department store Harrods.

Addressing the X user directly, Omokri appealed to cultural and religious values, stating that northern Nigerian communities traditionally respect hard work and entrepreneurship. 

He also referenced Islamic teachings and biblical figures to underscore what he described as the dignity of labour.

"Small-scale businesses are a path by which people can raise themselves and, eventually, their lineage. Do not belittle it," Omokri concluded.

The exchange has since generated reactions on social media, with users divided over the role of government, family background and entrepreneurship in addressing poverty and unemployment in Nigeria.