Tinubu Jokes About First Lady’s ‘Akara’ Remarks, Calls Her ‘Iya Alakara’ at Presidential Dinner

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday drew laughter from guests at the maiden Annual Presidential Press Corps Dinner after playfully referring to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as “Iya Alakara.”

The humorous remark, made during the event at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, was greeted with applause by senior government officials, media executives and members of the State House Press Corps.

The nickname comes in the wake of widespread public debate over the First Lady’s recent comments encouraging Nigerians to embrace small-scale businesses such as selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli as viable sources of income.

Speaking at the second-quarter meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative with wives of state governors at the Presidential Villa, the First Lady had explained that her office provides grants—not loans—to petty traders and entrepreneurs under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“We’re trying to give hope, and to start akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn, or somebody even said kuli-kuli doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant,” she had said.

Her remarks generated mixed reactions, with some Nigerians criticising the comments against the backdrop of the country’s economic challenges, while others defended them as an effort to encourage entrepreneurship and support for small businesses through government grants.

In response to the public debate, Senator Tinubu later clarified that the empowerment programme is not limited to akara vendors but also targets traders dealing in tomatoes, peppers, vegetables, roasted plantain (bole) and other small-scale enterprises.

She maintained that the initiative is aimed at strengthening livelihoods across Nigeria’s informal sector through direct grants rather than loans.

President Tinubu’s light-hearted reference to his wife as “Iya Alakara” appeared to acknowledge the public conversation surrounding the issue while adding a moment of humour to the inaugural Presidential Press Corps Dinner.