Tinubu’s ‘Iya Alakara’ joke revives debate over Remi’s business comments

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday jokingly referred to First Lady Oluremi Tinubu as “Iya Alakara” during the Presidential Press Corps Dinner at the State House in Abuja, a remark that appeared to reference the recent debate over her comments on small-scale businesses.

Addressing guests at the event, Tinubu opened his speech with a light-hearted greeting that drew laughter from the audience.

“Good evening, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara,” the president said.

The remark comes amid public reactions to comments made by the first lady on grassroots entrepreneurship, particularly her reference to akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli businesses as practical income-generating ventures for women navigating Nigeria’s economic realities.

Her remarks had sparked criticism online, with some Nigerians arguing that such examples reflected the growing hardship facing households and the limited scale of economic opportunities available to many citizens.

Akara, a popular local snack made from deep-fried bean paste, has long been associated with small roadside businesses and informal trade across the country.

Speaking earlier this week during the inauguration of the Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall at the palace of the Emir of Hadejia in Jigawa State, the first lady defended her position, insisting that the intervention programme under her office was designed to support low-income traders and strengthen their businesses.

She explained that beneficiaries of the scheme include traders dealing in tomatoes, pepper, vegetables and roasted plantain, popularly known as bole.

According to her, the federal government released N100 million to the Jigawa State Government to support about 2,000 petty traders under the initiative.

She said each beneficiary would receive N50,000 as working capital aimed at helping them recapitalise and sustain their businesses.

Remi maintained that despite the criticism trailing the initiative, the administration would continue to push programmes targeted at economic support for women and small-scale traders.