President Bola Ahmed Tinubu injected humour into the maiden Presidential Press Corps Annual Dinner at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday when he playfully referred to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as “Iya Alakara” while acknowledging dignitaries.
The light-hearted remark came during his opening protocol as he greeted guests at the event.
“Good evening, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara,” the President said, drawing laughter from journalists, senior government officials and other guests in attendance.
The nickname was widely interpreted as a humorous reference to the recent controversy surrounding the First Lady’s remarks encouraging women to embrace small scale businesses such as selling akara (bean cakes), roasted corn and kuli kuli under the Renewed Hope Initiative’s economic empowerment programme.
The First Lady had earlier advised that such ventures require relatively little capital to establish and could serve as viable sources of income for women and families.
However, the comments generated widespread reactions on social media, with critics arguing that they appeared insensitive to the economic hardship facing many Nigerians.
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, Senator Oluremi Tinubu clarified that her remarks had been misunderstood.
She explained that the Federal Government’s empowerment programme was never limited to akara sellers but was designed to support a broad range of petty traders, including sellers of tomatoes, pepper, vegetables, roasted plantain and other small businesses.
The First Lady disclosed that the Federal Government had provided ₦100 million to empower about 2,000 petty traders in Jigawa State, insisting that the initiative was aimed at strengthening grassroots businesses and improving household incomes.
“And I know they’ve been talking that I said akara. It’s not only akara; we also have tomato sellers, boole sellers and those selling pepper and vegetables in the market. We will continue to empower them and add to their resources so that their trade can really be sustainable,” she said.
Although the President did not elaborate on the nickname during his speech, the humorous reference briefly lightened the atmosphere before he proceeded to address more serious national issues, including economic reforms, security and the role of the media in nation-building.
The maiden Presidential Press Corps Annual Dinner brought together members of the State House Press Corps, senior government officials, media executives and other invited guests, with the event aimed at strengthening engagement between the Presidency and journalists covering the State House.
