Tinubu Calls First Lady 'Iya Alakara' at Press Dinner

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday playfully called First Lady Oluremi Tinubu "Iya Alakara" during the annual Presidential Press Corps Dinner in Abuja.

This joke was about the First Lady’s recent advice to vulnerable Nigerians. She suggested they try small businesses like frying akara and roasting corn. This advice received a lot of criticism on social media.

The annual dinner is hosted by the President. It gathers journalists who cover the Presidency and top government officials.

At the dinner, Mr Tinubu affectionately called the First Lady, "My dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara." This made the guests laugh.

Many saw this remark as a light joke about the backlash from the First Lady’s comments on business and self-reliance. Critics said her remarks ignored the tough economic situation and growing unemployment in the country.

Mr Tinubu’s joke came just days after the First Lady defended her statements. She said her empowerment programs go beyond just Akara sellers. They also include traders who sell tomatoes, vegetables, pepper, and roasted plantain, known as bole.

While speaking at the opening of the Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall in the Emir of Hadejia’s Palace in Jigawa State, she explained that her office supports various small-scale businesses.

"And I know they’ve been talking that I said akara. It’s not just akara; we also have tomato sellers. We have bole, and those selling pepper, selling vegetables for us in the market, we’ll continue to empower them, add to their resources so that their trade can really be sustainable," she said.

Mrs Tinubu made her original comments after the second-quarter meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative with the wives of the 36 state governors at the State House in Abuja.

She explained that her office gives grants, not loans, to help vulnerable Nigerians start small businesses.

"We’re trying to give hope, and to start the Akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn, or somebody even said Kulikuli, doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant," she had said.

These comments led to a lot of criticism. Many Nigerians felt she did not acknowledge the rising cost of living and unemployment.

Mr Tinubu’s "Iya Alakara" comment quickly sparked reactions online. Some users felt it showed that the Presidency knew about the public criticism of the First Lady’s comments. Others thought it was a way to add some humor to the situation.