First Lady of Nigeria Responds to Meghan Markle Comments Controversy
During her visit to Nigeria, Meghan Markle reportedly faced criticism from locals. After discovering her 43% Nigerian heritage through a DNA test, the Duchess was enthusiastic about exploring her roots and visiting the African nation.
Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, Nigeria’s First Lady, recently delivered a speech that was mistakenly perceived as criticizing Markle’s attire during her visit.
Sen. Oluremi Tinubu has been Nigeria’s First Lady since 2023, following her tenure as the First Lady of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 when her husband, Bola Tinubu, was governor.
In her address, Tinubu emphasized the importance of Nigerian women setting positive examples for the country’s youth and cautioned against imitating American celebrities’ fashion and styling too closely.
The First Lady made headlines after Meghan’s visit when a video surfaced of her discussing the challenges faced by Nigeria’s youth at an event celebrating the first year of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
According to the First Lady’s office, Tinubu’s reference to the Duchess of Sussex was about Meghan’s journey to understand her identity after learning of her Nigerian heritage.
“She meant Meghan appreciates the people we are and hence her coming here,” the First Lady’s office clarified in a statement to AFP Fact Check.
First Lady of Nigeria Responds to Meghan Markle Comments Controversy
“At no point did she say anything about Meghan’s dressing.” This clarification addressed misinformation from media outlets suggesting that Tinubu’s speech directly criticized the Duchess of Sussex’s wardrobe during the tour.
Meghan and Prince Harry visited Nigeria from May 10 to 12 at the invitation of the Chief of Defense Staff.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not publicly meet with the President of Nigeria or his wife during their trip.
Speaking with PEOPLE about the tour, Prince Harry said, “These trips are about us being able to go out and focus on the things that mean so much to us. Being able to be on the ground, to us, is what it’s all about.”
“It’s really meaningful. Just being able to connect to people… that’s what makes it special,” added Meghan.
At the Celebrating the Woman event in Abuja, Nigeria’s First Lady Tinubu highlighted the significance of positive role models for the younger generation.
She mentioned Meghan Markle‘s visit to reconnect with her Nigerian roots, noting that Meghan felt a strong connection to the country after learning she was 43% Nigerian through a genealogy test in 2022.
“The message here is, we have to salvage our children. You know we see the way they dress, they keep forgetting that Nigeria, we are beautiful.
The moment you can see what they showcase on the stage, I said, we are fashionable! We see what is going on,” Tinubu stated at the event.
First Lady of Nigeria Responds to Meghan Markle Comments Controversy
