A viral video of a woman claiming to earn more than ₦2.5 million monthly from selling roasted corn has ignited widespread debate across Nigerian social media, with users divided over the credibility of the claim and the earning potential of small-scale businesses.
The short video, shared on X on Sunday by user @ChuksEricE, shows an interviewer asking the woman, identified as a corn seller, how much she makes from the business each month.
Responding confidently, the trader said:
"Per month I make like 2.5 million."
It was not immediately clear whether the clip was a spontaneous street interview or a staged content-creation skit. Nevertheless, it quickly gained traction online, attracting thousands of comments on X and Instagram and reigniting conversations about entrepreneurship, informal businesses and economic survival in Nigeria.
Many social media users questioned the mathematical basis of the claim.
Reacting on X, @okafor_nna wrote:
"2.5 million a month, she's a joker. It means she makes like 84 thousand profit every day… for a corn of ₦500, let's assume you make profit of ₦200 on every one… it still doesn't add."
Another user, @Nigash_, dismissed the claim, saying:
"2.5m na you still be like this. You, the interviewer and who ask you make you talk this lie dey crase."
Also expressing skepticism, @DrLeguzo argued that the figure was unrealistic.
"That's absolutely false. Two things: She did not understand the question. She doesn't know what ₦2.5 million is. Easy nut to crack. How many corns does she sell on a given day and how much does she sell on average? Exaggeration at worst."
Rather than dismissing the claim outright, some users sought further clarification.
@Iamjezyg questioned the seasonal nature of the business, asking:
"So after the corn season is over, how else is she making the sales?"
Others expressed concern that the publicity could expose the woman to security risks.
@nonchallantjay wrote:
"Una no go spread am keh. When boys kidnap this lady and ask for ransom, na then truth go come out."
Some responses took a lighter tone.
Reacting humorously, @DojaO posted:
"Make First Lady sha no see this one, abi wetin be all this?"
While @Mr_more001 joked:
"Because she's the only one selling corn. She should hide her face."
Instagram users were equally divided. While @victor_kaizen_ remarked, "See the way they dressed her up well," another user, @unchartteed1, suggested she might own multiple outlets, commenting:
"She fit get 100 branch."
The renewed attention comes weeks after First Lady Oluremi Tinubu encouraged Nigerian women to embrace low-capital businesses such as roasting corn, frying akara and producing kulikuli as viable means of livelihood, arguing that such ventures could benefit more from grants than loans.
Her remarks generated widespread criticism, with many Nigerians arguing they underestimated the country's economic challenges, including rising inflation, high food prices and unemployment.
President Bola Tinubu later defended the First Lady's comments, explaining that the Federal Government's empowerment initiatives extend beyond akara sellers to include traders dealing in tomatoes, pepper, vegetables and roasted plantain. He also disclosed that the Federal Government provided ₦100 million to the Jigawa State Government to support 2,000 petty traders with grants of ₦50,000 each under the Renewed Hope Initiative.
The President's Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, also defended the First Lady, describing the backlash as "a performative circus of selective amnesia," while insisting critics ignored the broader interventions of the Renewed Hope Initiative in women empowerment, healthcare and support for vulnerable groups.
The debate has since transcended social media, finding its way into academic discourse. At Prince Abubakar Audu University, Kogi State, students were recently asked to develop an advocacy advertisement based on the First Lady's remarks, underscoring the growing national conversation around petty trading, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
Although the true earnings of the corn seller remain unverified, the viral clip has once again highlighted the public's fascination with Nigeria's informal economy and the wider debate over whether small businesses can generate significant income amid the country's prevailing economic realities.
Watch video here:
https://t.co/kuWBClrvh2
Source: Punch
Tags: #CornSeller #NigerianEconomy #SmallBusiness
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