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'At No Point Did She Say...': First Lady of Nigeria Addresses Meghan Markle Comments Controversy
The office of Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady of Nigeria, has clarified her recent speech mentioning Meghan Markle.
During her visit to Nigeria, Meghan Markle reportedly faced criticism from the locals. After finding out about her 43% Nigerian heritage, as confirmed by a DNA test, the Duchess was enthusiastic about exploring her roots and visiting the African nation.
Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, Nigeria's First Lady, recently gave a speech that was mistakenly seen as criticizing Markle's outfit during her visit to the country. Sen. Oluremi Tinubu has been the First Lady of Nigeria since 2023, as the wife of President Bola Tinubu. She previously served as the First Lady of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 when her husband was the governor.
First Lady of Nigeria clarifies comments about Meghan Markle's attire
Nigeria’s First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu sent a strong message to the country’s girls and warned Nigerian women not to copy American celebrities too much in their approach to fashion and styling.
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 her husband, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s, presidency.
According to the First Lady's office, Tinubu’s reference to the Duchess of Sussex was about her journey to understand her identity and where she came from after Meghan learned she is of Nigerian heritage.
"She meant Meghan appreciates the people we are and hence her coming here," the First Lady’s office said in a statement to AFP Fact Check in a story published on May 30. "At no point did she say anything about Meghan’s dressing."
The clarification comes amid misinformation from media outlets suggesting that the speech directly criticized the Duchess of Sussex's tour wardrobe.
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 on the tour, Prince Harry said, "These trips are about us being able to go out and go and focus on the things that mean so much to us. And 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.
What are the comments that First Lady of Nigeria made?
Nigeria's First Lady, Tinubu, delivered a speech at the Celebrating the Woman event in Abuja, emphasizing the importance of setting positive examples for the next generation. She mentioned Meghan Markle's visit to reconnect with her Nigerian roots, stating that she learned she was 43% Nigerian through a genealogy test in 2022 and felt a strong connection to the country during her trip with Harry.
"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 said in part at the event.
She further said, "We are not having the Met Gala. And everyone, the nakedness is just everywhere, and the men are well-clothed. So we have to do something. Tell them the way it is — we don't accept nakedness in our culture. That is not beautiful," she continued, as the audience applauded."
The First Lady of Nigeria added, "It is not beautiful at all. And they are all beautiful girls, but they should be confident in who they are. They are mimicking and trying to emulate film stars from America. They don’t know where they come from," the First Lady said. "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."
After the Nigerian First Lady’s speech, one Twitter royal fan wrote, “Meghan Markle managed to cause an international incident! We warned her about the clothes.”
Another person wrote, “I’m glad the First Lady sees how some visitors choose to disrespect the Nigerian people and culture. It was shameful to dress like that, especially in the presence of children. This is Meghan and Harry’s behavior. They need to stop using Nigeria and Africa as a PR tool.”
Meanwhile, a supporter of the Duchess hit back, saying, “Do us a favor and leave Meghan alone.”
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