Tinubu Nicknames First Lady “Iya Alakara” at Dinner

President Bola Tinubu playfully nicknames First Lady Oluremi Tinubu “Iya Alakara” during a public event on Thursday. The moment happened at the Presidential Press Corps Dinner inside the State House in Abuja, and it quickly caught the attention of viewers watching the live coverage.

While observing protocol at the start of his speech, the President turned toward his wife with a grin. “Good evening, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara,” he said. The crowd broke into laughter almost immediately, and reactions spread fast once footage of the exchange made its way online.

Why Tinubu Nicknames First Lady This Way

The nickname, which translates loosely to “Mama Akara Seller,” wasn’t random. It referenced comments the First Lady made just days earlier about small-scale trading. Speaking under the Renewed Hope Initiative’s empowerment programme, she had encouraged Nigerian women to explore ventures like selling akara (bean cakes), roasted corn and kuli-kuli. According to her, these businesses “don’t take much money” to get started.

That remark didn’t land the way she intended. Instead, it sparked a wave of criticism across social media. Many Nigerians felt the comment ignored the depth of the country’s economic struggles, and some accused her of downplaying real hardship. So when Tinubu nicknames First Lady “Iya Alakara” in front of the press, plenty of people read it as a light-hearted nod to that entire controversy.

A clip of the dinner, shared by Aso Rock TV on YouTube, shows the President smiling as he works through his greetings before landing on the nickname. The Punch Newspapers also posted footage on social media, and it circulated widely within hours.

First Lady Responds to Akara Criticism

Before the dinner even happened, though, Oluremi Tinubu had already addressed the backlash herself. She spoke on Monday during the inauguration of the newly built Abubakar Maje Haruna Hall at the Emir of Hadejia’s Palace in Jigawa State, and she didn’t shy away from the topic.

She clarified that the government’s support program reaches far beyond akara vendors. Traders selling tomatoes, pepper, vegetables, roasted plantain, and other small goods also qualify for assistance, she explained. Furthermore, she revealed that the Federal Government had donated N100 million to Jigawa State specifically to empower 2,000 petty traders there.

“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,” she said. She then added, “And I know they’ve been talking that I said akara. 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.”

She closed her remarks with a promise to keep expanding support. “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,” she said.

A Lighthearted Moment Amid Real Debate

Even though the President’s joke drew laughter in the room, it also highlights a genuine conversation happening across Nigeria about economic empowerment and how leaders talk about poverty. Small-scale trading remains a lifeline for many families, so language around it tends to carry weight regardless of intent.

Meanwhile, the First Lady continues to push forward with her empowerment initiatives, and her recent donation to Jigawa State suggests the programme isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

For now, the nickname has become something of a viral moment, one that blends political humor with an ongoing national conversation. Whether Nigerians will remember it as an affectionate joke or a pointed jab likely depends on which side of the original controversy they landed on. Either way, the episode shows how quickly a single phrase can travel from a state dinner to timelines across the country.