President Tinubu Pokes Fun at First Lady’s Viral Small Business Advice During Abuja Press Dinner

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has injected a heavy dose of humor into Abuja’s political circle by turning one of the internet’s biggest talking points into a playful tease directed straight at his wife.

The lighthearted moment went down at the State House Banquet Hall during the high-profile Presidential Press Corps Dinner. While standing at the podium to acknowledge the long list of government officials and journalists in attendance, the President smiled, looked toward his wife, and adjusted his protocol list to deliver a unexpected introduction.

“Good evening, gentlemen of the press, ladies and gentlemen,” President Tinubu announced to the crowd. “And my dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara.”

The unexpected Yoruba title—which translates directly to “Mama Bean Cake Seller”—instantly drew loud laughter, cheers, and applause from the audience. Video clips captured during the dinner showed the First Lady nodding gracefully and sharing a smile with nearby officials, indicating that the presidency is fully aware of the fierce social media storms that have dominated local timelines over the past week.

The origin of the nickname stems from an economic empowerment meeting held by the First Lady’s signature project, the Renewed Hope Initiative. While speaking to wives of state governors, she had encouraged low-income women to look into humble street-vending ventures like selling bean cakes, roasted maize, and local snacks, pointing out that these businesses require very little capital to set up.

However, the advice did not sit well with a large cross-section of Nigerians online. Critics quickly flagged the remarks as insensitive, arguing that pushing petty trading as a solution trivializes the real economic hardships, high fuel costs, and rising food inflation that families are dealing with on a daily basis.

Before the President joked about the issue at the dinner, the First Lady had already moved to clarify her stance during an official visit to Jigawa State, where she presented a ₦100 million donation to support 2,000 small-scale traders at the Emir of Hadejia’s palace.

“I know people have been talking online that I said they should sell akara,” First Lady Oluremi Tinubu explained to the gathering. “But it is not only akara. Our market spaces are filled with hardworking tomato sellers, pepper sellers, vegetable traders, and those selling roasted plantain for us. Our target is to put money directly into the hands of these petty traders to boost their resources so that their daily trades can survive this tough period.”

By transforming a tense public relations headache into a moment of shared laughter at the press dinner, the President managed to take the sting out of the online criticism. While the debate regarding the practical value of petty trading grants during an economic crunch continues to divide opinions, Aso Rock has made it clear that they are keeping a close eye on the national conversation—even if they prefer to handle the internet’s memes with a bit of family humor.