Nigeria first lady speaks on claims she criticized Meghan’s dressing after ‘nakedness’ comment

Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, the first lady of Nigeria, has cleared up her remarks following a recent speech misconstrued as a critique of Meghan Markle’s wardrobe while she visited the nation.

At the request of the Chief of Defense Staff, the nation’s top military officer, Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, were in Nigeria from May 10 to May 12. The couple went overseas to support Harry’s Invictus Games, which Nigeria joined for the first time in 2023, and to advocate for the mental health programs for youth run by the Archewell Foundation.

First Lady Tinubu gained notoriety when Arise News’s video of her speaking on the struggles of Nigeria’s youth at an Abuja event called “Celebrating the Woman” went viral.

In her speech, she said, “We are not having the Met Gala . . . We don’t accept nakedness in our culture. It is not beautiful at all . . . 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.”

Nevertheless, the First Lady’s office emphasized that Tinubu’s reference to the Duchess of Sussex was about Meghan’s journey to discover her identity and where she originated from after learning she is 43 percent Nigerian.

In a statement to  AFP Fact Check, her office noted, “She meant Meghan appreciates the people we are and hence her coming here. At no point did she say anything about Meghan’s dressing.”

The correction comes after reports from various local and worldwide media sources implied that the speech attacked the Duchess of Sussex’s tour attire.

According to People, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not have a public meeting with the Nigerian president or his spouse while in the West African country.