“At no time did she say…”: Nigeria’s First Lady addresses Meghan Markle and comments on the controversy

During her visit to Nigeria, Meghan Markle was reportedly criticized by the local population. After discovering her 43% Nigerian heritage, confirmed by a DNA test, the Duchess was excited to explore her roots and visit the African nation.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu, First Lady of Nigeria, recently gave a speech that was wrongly seen as a criticism of Markle’s attire during her visit to the country. Senator Oluremi Tinubu has been the First Lady of Nigeria since 2023, as the wife of President Bola Tinubu. She previously served as First Lady of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, when her husband was governor.

Nigeria’s First Lady Clarifies Comments on Meghan Markle’s Dress

Senator Oluremi Tinubu, First Lady of Nigeria, has sent a strong message to girls in the country and warned Nigerian women not to copy too much from American celebrities in their approach to fashion and style.

The First Lady made headlines after Meghan’s visit when a video of her discussing the challenges faced by Nigerian youth at an event celebrating the first year of her husband, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidency, made surface.

According to the First Lady’s office, Tinubu’s reference to the Duchess of Sussex was about her journey to understanding her identity and where she came from after Meghan learned she was of Nigerian descent.

“She wanted to say that Meghan appreciates the people we are and therefore her coming here,” the First Lady’s office said in a statement to AFP Fact Check in an article published on May 30. “At no time did she say anything about Meghan’s attire.”

The clarification comes amid erroneous media reports suggesting the speech was directly critical of the Duchess of Sussex’s touring 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 Nigeria’s president or his wife during their trip.

Speaking to PEOPLE during the tour, Prince Harry said: “These trips allow us to get out and focus on the things that mean so much to us. And being able to be on the ground, for us, is what that matters. It’s about.”

“It’s really meaningful. Just being able to connect with people…that’s what makes it special,” Meghan added.

What are the comments of the First Lady of Nigeria?

Nigeria’s First Lady, Tinubu, delivered a speech at the Celebrating the Woman event in Abuja, stressing the importance of setting a positive example for the next generation. She spoke about Meghan Markle’s visit to reconnect with her Nigerian roots, saying she learned she was 43% Nigerian through a genealogy test in 2022 and felt a strong connection to the country during her journey with Harry.

“The message here is that we have to save our children. You know, we see the way they dress, they always forget that Nigeria, we are beautiful. As soon as you can see what they present on stage, I I said, we are trending! We see what is happening,” Tinubu said at the event.

She added: “We’re not having a Met Gala. And everyone, nudity is everywhere, and the men are well dressed. So we have to do something. Tell them what’s going on: we don’t accept nudity in our culture is not beautiful,” she continued, to applause from the audience.

Nigeria’s First Lady added: “It’s not beautiful at all. And they are all beautiful girls, but they should be confident in who they are. They imitate and try to imitate American movie stars. They don’t know where.” where they come from,” the First Lady said. “Why did Meghan come here looking for Africa? This is something we need to remember at home. We know who we are and don’t lose who you are.”

After the Nigerian First Lady’s speech, a royal fan on Twitter 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 the behavior of Meghan and Harry. They must stop using Nigeria and Africa as public relations tools. »

Meanwhile, a supporter of the duchess hit back, saying: “Do us a favor and leave Meghan alone. »

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