President Bola Tinubu on Thursday jokingly referred to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as “Iya Alakara” during the Presidential Press Corps Dinner held at the State House in Abuja.
The light-hearted remark came as the President acknowledged dignitaries in attendance. While greeting guests, he turned to the First Lady and addressed her with the nickname, drawing laughter and applause from those present.
The nickname appears to reference the recent public discussion surrounding the First Lady’s remarks encouraging Nigerian women to embrace small-scale businesses as a means of economic empowerment.
She had advised women to consider ventures such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli, noting that such businesses require relatively low start-up capital. Her comments sparked mixed reactions, with some Nigerians arguing that the advice did not reflect the country’s current economic realities.
Responding to the criticism earlier this week, the First Lady clarified that the Federal Government’s empowerment programme is not limited to akara sellers but also supports traders dealing in tomatoes, pepper, vegetables, roasted plantain and other petty businesses.
She also disclosed that the Federal Government had provided ₦100 million to empower 2,000 petty traders in Jigawa State, stressing that the initiative is aimed at strengthening small businesses and improving livelihoods across communities.
