Barely two days after her father’s inauguration as Nigeria’s president, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo has declared herself the Iyaloja-General of the country .
Ms Tinubu-Ojo, the Iyaloja of Lagos markets, also crowned herself the first daughter of Nigeria.
Iyaloja is a Yoruba word that translates to “Mother of the Market” in South Western states. It is an elective position commonly used to refer to market leader.
Every market has a male and a leader known as Babaloja and Iyaloja, respectively.
Among the leaders, a general leader is chosen hence the title, Iyaloja-General.
Tinubu-Ojo, 47, had held the position of Iyaloja-General since 2013, when she took over from her grandmother, Abibat Mogaji, whoicurrent president’s mother.
Tinubu-Ojo stirred angst when she updated her Twitter bio to read, “This is the official handle of the Iyaloja General of Nigeria. The First Daughter of the FRN” on Monday.
Her updated Twitter bio is a far cry from the previous administration, where the president’s children were not visible. Even the ‘Office of the First Lady’ was not recognised.
Created in October 2022, the Twitter handle already has over twenty-two thousand followers.
As the first child of the president, having lost her elder brother, Ms Tinubu Ojo is a member of the first family.
The first family is an unofficial title which draws its etymology from pop culture and became popular in 1962 after American comedian Vaughn Meader released his comedy album, ‘The First Family’.
Going by reactions, many seem to believe that Ms Tinubu-Ojo, by announcing herself as the First Daughter of Nigeria, may be getting some other monetary inducements.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Iyaloja of Lagos launched her latest project, Friends of Iyaloja Initiative, which she said will channel her experience, connections and human resources towards supporting her father’s administration.
“I shall be focusing on Youth & Women Empowerment, empowering people with Special Needs, empowering the vulnerable and several other programs aimed at affecting the lives of Nigerians, especially, those in the grassroots.
“We shall partner with other notable NGOs with track records of excellence in the Key areas. We shall also seek collaborations with several governmental agencies, ministries and parastatals created to serve Nigerians in areas that pertain to our operational cycle,” she wrote.
Her newly updated bio, however, did not go down well with Nigerian Twitter users who have not failed to air their opinion on the matter.
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