THERE IS DIGNITY IN SMALL BEGINNINGS

By Jonathan Onwuka

Not every meaningful economic intervention has to begin with millions of naira. Sometimes, the simplest ideas create the greatest impact.

There is a growing tendency to dismiss small-scale empowerment programmes because they do not appear glamorous enough. Yet history and experience continue to teach us that many of the world's most successful businesses started with very little.

Supporting people to engage in small scale businesses such as akara , roasted corn, and kulikuli production may seem insignificant to some, but its economic impact can be far-reaching. Across Northern Nigeria and parts of the South-West, these businesses have sustained families for generations, financed children's education, and provided honest livelihoods where formal employment was unavailable.

The truth is simple: not everyone will work in an office or wear a white-collar uniform. Every economy thrives because it accommodates people with different talents, skills, and opportunities. While some excel in professional careers, others build wealth through trade, agriculture, food processing , and other small enterprises. Every legitimate means of earning a living deserves respect.

What many overlook is the chain of opportunities these businesses create. Farmers grow the maize, beans, and groundnuts. Transporters move them to the markets. Processors turn them into finished products. Vendors sell them. Packaging businesses thrive. Consumers are served. One small business often supports many other livelihoods.

Capital alone does not guarantee success. We have seen people receive huge sums to start businesses, only to waste the opportunity through poor planning and lack of discipline. On the other hand, countless successful entrepreneurs began with almost nothing except determination, consistency, and sound management. Every great enterprise starts somewhere.

Instead of ridiculing grassroots economic initiatives, we should focus on improving them. Better packaging, hygiene, branding, business training , access to credit, and market expansion can transform these traditional ventures into modern enterprises capable of creating thousands of jobs.

Constructive criticism is healthy in a democracy, but criticism should seek to improve ideas rather than discourage them. If an initiative has the potential to reduce unemployment, fight hunger, and restore dignity to hardworking Nigerians, it deserves thoughtful support and constructive engagement.

Many of our parents built homes, trained children, and secured better futures through businesses that some people now look down upon. Today , many professionals in our cities and in the diaspora owe their education to the sacrifices of mothers and fathers who sold akara, roasted corn, kulikuli, and other local products.

There is honour in honest labour. No business that puts food on the table, creates employment, and preserves human dignity should ever be despised.

A nation does not become prosperous by creating only a few millionaires. It becomes prosperous by empowering millions of ordinary people to earn an honest living. Every thriving economy is built from the ground up - one small business at a time.

Kudos to Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for supporting initiatives that encourage grassroots economic empowerment. May more programmes continue to equip ordinary Nigerians with the tools to build sustainable livelihoods and strengthen our nation's economy.