President Bola Tinubu on Thursday humorously referred to the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as “Iya Alakara”—a Yoruba expression meaning “mother of the akara seller”—while addressing guests at the inaugural Presidential Press Corps Dinner held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja.
While acknowledging the First Lady during his remarks, the President said, “Gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen, my dear wife, the First Lady, the Iya Alakara.”
President Tinubu attended the event alongside his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the dinner hosted by the State House Press Corps.
The comment is widely seen as a light-hearted reference to a recent viral video in which the First Lady encouraged women to embrace entrepreneurship, noting that starting a small business such as frying and selling akara is a practical way to earn a living.
