A video showing billionaire businessman, Tony Elumelu, buying roasted corn from a roadside vendor has resurfaced and gone viral on social media, days after First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, encouraged Nigerians to explore small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn, and kuli-kuli.
In the footage, Elumelu, dressed in a formal suit, is seen walking along a busy Lagos expressway accompanied by members of his entourage.
He approaches a roadside stall shaded by a yellow umbrella, inspects ears of roasted corn displayed on a grill, and interacts with the vendor before making a purchase.
Sharing the video at the time, Elumelu wrote, “Jollof is nice but some days we sample roasted corn along the Lagos express… Some cravings die hard.”
PUNCH Online reports that the clip, dated back to around 2019, has been widely circulated by blogs and users on Sunday.
The renewed interest comes in the wake of comments made by the First Lady at the end of June 2026.
While addressing support for small businesses through government grants under the Renewed Hope Initiative, Senator Tinubu stated that starting ventures like akara or roasted corn businesses requires little capital and aims to provide hope amid economic challenges.
Her remarks drew significant criticism online, with many viewing them as out of touch with current hardships faced by ordinary Nigerians.
Social media reactions to the Elumelu video have been mixed, with some users praising the billionaire’s relatability and humility in patronising local vendors.
Others, perhaps unaware the video is old, questioned the timing, suggesting the video serves as subtle support for the First Lady’s narrative or a public relations move.
An X user, @MosesUgwum75755, wrote, “Please don’t blame Tony, he is trying to protect his investments by validating Remi Tinubu’s statement on akara frying. If you can’t beat them, you join them.”
Another user, @Goddeywitholu, said, “Tiffs and hypocrites all of them suddenly knows how to eat roasted corn and take videos and pictures of it after ejalonibu wife talked about it.”
Similarly, @SirHenroDeGreat described the resurfaced video as an attempt to align with the recent conversation, writing, “Who goes to buy corn and film or records himself? … Even the High and mighty have jumped on the trend of Akara and Corn to endorse what was said by their bosses.”
However, viewing the video as normal, an X user, @Olavibezng, wrote, “Who tells you say rich man no dey chop watin poor people dey chop? Bro, if na garri and ground nut you chop, be happy and hope for the best. Tony Elumelu dey chop.”
Another user, @aynecon, dismissed the attention surrounding the video, saying, “Hen-hen, what so special about it? What about us buying from them? Do we come from Pluto or Uranus? Why do you even think those guys are Semi God self. How does that make headline or something of importance?”
Elumelu is the chairman of the United Bank for Africa and founder of Tony Elumelu Foundation.
Through TEF, he has become one of Africa’s leading champions of entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
The Foundation has provided seed capital, mentorship, and training to over 18,000 African entrepreneurs across all 54 countries, with a focus on supporting startups and small businesses in sectors ranging from agriculture and technology to manufacturing and services.
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