TINUBU SPARKS REACTIONS AS HE PLAYFULLY CALLS FIRST LADY ‘IYA ALAKARA’ AT STATE HOUSE EVENT

TINUBU SPARKS REACTIONS AS HE PLAYFULLY CALLS FIRST LADY ‘IYA ALAKARA’ AT STATE HOUSE EVENT

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has stirred fresh public reactions after humorously referring to Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as “Iya Alakara” during an official event at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The President made the light-hearted remark on Thursday while addressing guests at the Presidential Press Corps Dinner held at the State House, where top government officials, media executives, and other dignitaries were in attendance.

During his protocol acknowledgments, President Tinubu paused briefly before introducing his wife in a playful manner, saying, “Good evening gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady… Iya Alakara.”

The comment immediately drew laughter and reactions from guests present at the gathering, with clips from the event later circulating widely across social media platforms.

The nickname appears connected to recent public discussions surrounding remarks previously made by the First Lady during one of the Federal Government’s economic empowerment programmes targeted at women and small-scale business owners.

Weeks earlier, Senator Oluremi Tinubu had encouraged Nigerian women to embrace small businesses such as selling akara (bean cakes), roasted corn, kuli-kuli, and similar petty trading ventures, stating that such enterprises require relatively low capital to begin.

Her comments quickly triggered mixed reactions online, with some Nigerians arguing that the remarks did not fully reflect the difficult economic realities currently facing many households across the country.

Following the criticism, the First Lady later clarified that the government’s empowerment programme was never limited to only akara sellers, stressing that the initiative covers a broader range of petty traders and informal sector entrepreneurs.

Speaking during a recent event in Jigawa State, she explained that the Federal Government had already provided N100 million in financial support aimed at empowering approximately 2,000 small-scale traders in the state.

According to her, beneficiaries include traders dealing in tomatoes, peppers, vegetables, roasted plantain, and other forms of micro-enterprises across local markets.

She reiterated that the administration remains committed to strengthening grassroots businesses and expanding opportunities for small traders in order to promote sustainable economic growth among vulnerable groups.

The President’s humorous remark has since generated renewed online conversations, with many Nigerians revisiting the earlier debate surrounding the First Lady’s comments and the broader issue of economic empowerment strategies under the current administration.