President Bola Tinubu on Thursday drew laughter at a public event after playfully referring to First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu as “Iya Alakara,” in what appeared to be a light hearted nod to the recent controversy surrounding her comments on petty trading.
The President made the remark while acknowledging guests at the Presidential Press Corps Dinner held at the State House in Abuja. In a video from the event shared by Aso Rock TV, Tinubu was seen smiling as he greeted dignitaries before introducing the First Lady with the now trending nickname.
“Good evening, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara,” the President said, prompting laughter from members of the audience.
The comment comes just weeks after Oluremi Tinubu urged Nigerian women to embrace small businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli kuli under the Renewed Hope Initiative’s economic empowerment programme.
At the time, the First Lady had said such businesses did not require much capital to start, a comment that quickly stirred reactions online. Many Nigerians faulted the remark, arguing that it came across as insensitive at a time when many households are battling rising living costs and worsening economic hardship.
Amid the backlash, Oluremi Tinubu moved to clarify her position earlier this week, explaining that the empowerment initiative was not limited to akara sellers alone but was designed to support a wider category of petty traders.
She spoke during the inauguration of the newly built Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall at the palace of the Emir of Hadejia in Jigawa State, where she disclosed that the Federal Government had donated N100 million to empower 2,000 small scale traders in the state.
According to her, the funds were meant to support petty traders and strengthen their businesses. Addressing the public reaction to her earlier comments, the First Lady said the intervention was not only for akara sellers, but also for tomato sellers, roasted plantain vendors, pepper sellers and vegetable traders in the market.
She maintained that the goal of the programme is to improve the capacity of small business owners by giving them financial support that can help make their trade sustainable.
Oluremi Tinubu added that the government would continue to provide support and increase resources for petty traders as part of efforts to help them remain in business and improve their livelihoods.
