The Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has jokingly nicknamed his wife and first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu as ‘Iya Alakara’ (Mama Akara Seller), apparently in reference to the recent controversy surrounding her remarks on small-scale businesses.
Penpushing reports that Tinubu made the remark on Thursday in a playful manner as a lighter note while observing protocol during his address at the Presidential Press Corps Dinner held at the State House, Abuja.
The President was beaming with smiles as he acknowledged dignitaries in attendance before turning to his wife, and addressed her as ‘Iya Alakara’, a remark which drew laughter and reactions from the audience.
Penpushing further reports that it would be recalled that the first lady few days ago urged Nigerian women to consider small-scale businesses such as selling akara (bean cakes), roasted corn and kuli-kuli through the Renewed Hope Initiative’s empowerment programme, adding that such ventures don’t take much money to start.
“Good evening, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara,” the President said, drawing laughter and reactions from the audience.
The statement sparked widespread reactions on social media, with some Nigerians criticising the remarks as insensitive to the country’s economic challenges and accusing her of trivialising the hardship faced by many citizens.
Penpushing also reports that the first lady, however, later clarified that the Nigerian Government’s empowerment programme was not limited to akara sellers but equally covered traders dealing in tomatoes, pepper, vegetables, roasted plantain and other petty businesses.
The wife of the President spoke on Monday during the inauguration of the newly constructed Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall at the Emir of Hadejia’s Palace in Jigawa State, and addressing the criticism directly, said the Nigerian Government had donated N100million to the Jigawa State Government to empower 2,000 petty traders in the state.
“Because of the atmosphere, what is going on, I’ve told Her Excellency that we’ve already given, donated about 100 million to her to use to empower 2,000 petty traders. And I know they’ve been talking that I said akara’, she sttaed.
‘It’s not only akara, we also have tomato sellers. We have boole, and those also selling pepper, selling vegetables for us in the market. We will continue to empower them and add to their resources so that their trade can really be sustainable. So that is what we are doing’, Tinubu added.
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