President Bola ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฎ has ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ข๐๐ค๐ง๐๐ฆ๐๐ the ๐ ๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฒ โ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐๐, ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ค๐๐ซ๐.โ
Glamtush reports that President Bola Tinubu on Thursday playfully referred to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as โIya Alakaraโ (Mama Akara Seller), in an apparent light-hearted reference to the recent controversy surrounding her remarks on small-scale businesses.
This news platform understands that the President made the remark while observing protocol during his address at the Presidential Press Corps Dinner held at the State House, Abuja.
A video of the event was shared by Aso Rock TV on YouTube.
It showed Tinubu smiling as he acknowledged dignitaries in attendance before turning to his wife.
โGood evening, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara,โ the President said, drawing laughter and reactions from the audience.
The nickname comes days after the First Lady urged Nigerian women to consider small-scale businesses such as selling akara (bean cakes), roasted corn and kuli-kuli through the Renewed Hope Initiativeโs empowerment programme.
She had noted that such ventures โdonโt take much moneyโ to start.
The statement sparked widespread reactions on social media, with some Nigerians criticising the remarks as insensitive to the countryโs economic challenges and accusing her of trivialising the hardship faced by many citizens.
However, the First Lady later clarified that the Federal Governmentโs empowerment programme was not limited to akara sellers but also covered traders dealing in tomatoes, pepper, vegetables, roasted plantain and other petty businesses.
She spoke on Monday during the inauguration of the newly constructed Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall at the Emir of Hadejiaโs Palace in Jigawa State.
Addressing the criticism directly, the First Lady said the Federal Government had donated N100m to the Jigawa State Government to empower 2,000 petty traders in the state.
โBecause of the atmosphere, what is going on, Iโve told Her Excellency that weโve already given, donated about 100 million to her to use to empower 2,000 petty traders.
โAnd I know theyโve been talking that I said akara. Itโs not only akara, we also have tomato sellers. We have boole, and those also selling pepper, selling vegetables for us in the market.
โWe 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,โ she said.
