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The Presidency has shared an AI-generated image of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, frying and selling akara, days after her comments on micro-enterprises drew mixed reactions on social media.
The image, posted on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre’s official social media accounts on Friday, depicts the First Lady at a roadside akara stand wearing an apron with the inscription, “Iya Alakara, fueling the nation with love.”
The post follows remarks by the First Lady during an interview in which she said small-scale businesses such as frying akara, roasting corn and making kuli kuli require little start-up capital.
She noted that the government was supporting such ventures with grants rather than loans.
— President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre (@PBATMediaCentre) July 3, 2026
“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.
The image has generated mixed reactions online. Some users described it as a light-hearted response to criticism, while others said it appeared to trivialise economic hardship.
Several users criticised the Presidency’s media team for the post, while others defended it, noting that Nigerians had previously turned the First Lady’s remarks into memes and skits.
Tinubu had playfully referred to the First Lady as “Iya Alakara” on Thursday during his address at the Presidential Press Corps Dinner in Abuja.
