The first lady of Nigeria Oluremi Tinubu went viral recently.
After the trip that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made to that African country, the wife of the national leader issued some words that many interpreted as a strong criticism of the Duchess of Sussex.
Tinubu expressed that Nigerian culture does not accept revealing clothes and emphasized the importance of cultural confidence.
In her speech, Tinubu mentioned that Nigerian women should be proud of their heritage instead of trying to imitate American movie stars.
“They are all beautiful girls but they should be confident to know they are. They don’t want to be like…even they are mimicking and trying to emulate film stars from America. They don’t know where they come from. Why did Meghan come here looking for Africa? That is something we have to take home with. We know who we are and don’t lose who you are,” she said.
Some critics, however, interpreted the speech as a critique of Meghan’s outfits during her visit, suggesting they were not appropriate compared to traditional Nigerian attire.
So much controversy has been sparked by this speech that the first lady’s office issued a statement on the matter.
What did Nigeria’s first lady say about Meghan Markle?
The Nigerian First Lady’s office has issued a clarification on the comments made, noting that there was no criticism of Meghan Markle or her attire.
Instead, the speech focused on young Nigerian women. Tinubu’s office denied that he made negative remarks about the Duchess of Sussex’s choice of attire, calling such claims “misleading.”
“At no point did she say anything about Meghan’s dressing,” the office of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu said
The First Lady’s office clarified that Tinubu’s words about the Duchess of Sussex alluded to her personal search for identity and roots after discovering her Nigerian heritage.
“She meant Meghan appreciates the people we are and hence her coming here,” the First Lady’s office said in a statement
During the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s visit to Nigeria, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry participated in several events, one of them one on women’s leadership alongside Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Nigerian head of the World Trade Organization.
Despite the controversy generated, the visit was considered a success, although in the British media it was described as a “fake royal tour”.