Tinubu teases wife with ‘Iya Alakara’ amid kuli kuli, akara empowerment remarks

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday drew laughter at the Presidential Press Corps Dinner in Abuja after playfully referring to the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, as “Iya Alakara” (Mama Akara Seller).

The light-hearted remark came as the President acknowledged dignitaries during his address at the event held at the State House.

“Good evening, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara,” Tinubu said, prompting laughter from the audience.

The nickname appears to reference the controversy that followed recent comments by the First Lady encouraging Nigerian women to take advantage of the Renewed Hope Initiative’s empowerment programme by venturing into small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli, which she said require little capital to start.

Her remarks sparked widespread reactions on social media, with critics arguing that they downplayed the economic hardship facing many Nigerians and appeared to trivialise the country’s rising cost of living.

Responding to the criticism earlier this week during the inauguration of the newly constructed Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall at the Emir of Hadejia’s Palace in Jigawa State, Oluremi Tinubu said her comments had been misunderstood.

She explained that the Federal Government’s empowerment programme targets a wide range of petty traders, including those selling tomatoes, pepper, vegetables, roasted plantain and other goods, not just akara vendors.

The First Lady also disclosed that the Federal Government had provided ₦100 million to the Jigawa State Government to support 2,000 petty traders under the initiative.

According to her, the programme is designed to strengthen small businesses by providing beneficiaries with additional resources to make their enterprises more sustainable.