President Bola Tinubu on Thursday jokingly referred to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as “Iya Alakara” (Mama Akara Seller) during the Presidential Press Corps Dinner at the State House in Abuja.
The light-hearted remark came as the President acknowledged dignitaries while delivering his address at the event.
“Good evening, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara,” Tinubu said with a smile, prompting laughter from guests in attendance.
A video of the moment, shared by Aso Rock TV on YouTube, captured the audience reacting warmly to the President’s humorous comment.
The nickname follows recent public debate over the First Lady’s comments encouraging Nigerian women to explore small-scale businesses through the Renewed Hope Initiative’s empowerment programme.
During an earlier event, Oluremi Tinubu had suggested that ventures such as selling akara (bean cakes), roasted corn and kuli-kuli require relatively little capital to start. Her remarks generated mixed reactions on social media, with some Nigerians describing them as insensitive amid the country’s economic difficulties.
Responding to the criticism days later during the inauguration of the newly built Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall at the Emir of Hadejia’s Palace in Jigawa State, the First Lady clarified that the empowerment initiative extends beyond akara sellers.
She explained that the programme also supports traders dealing in tomatoes, pepper, vegetables, roasted plantain and other small businesses.
According to her, the Federal Government has provided ₦100 million to the Jigawa State Government to empower 2,000 petty traders.
She stressed that the initiative aims to strengthen small businesses by providing additional resources to help beneficiaries sustain and expand their trades.
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