People are debating whether the First Lady of Nigeria subtly criticized Meghan Markle for her clothing choices at an event celebrating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first year in office.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently spent three days in the West African nation to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, the biennial sporting competition for wounded, injured, and sick veterans that Harry helped found alongside Sir Keith Mills.
In her speech, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu emphasized the importance of preserving the country’s culture from a young age instead of idolizing foreign trends.
People believe that Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady of Nigeria, subtly criticized Meghan Markle’s clothing choices during the Sussexes’ visit to the country
Image credits: Getty/Emmanuel Osodi
She said, “The message here is that we have to salvage our children. We see the way they dress. They keep forgetting that Nigeria, we are beautiful. You can see what they showcase on the stage. I said, ‘We are fashionable; we see what is going on.’
“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 we don’t accept nakedness in our culture. That is not beautiful. It’s not beautiful at all.
“And they’re all beautiful girls, but they should be confident in who they are.
“They do not want to mimic and try 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 us. We know who we are. Don’t lose who you are.”
During the visit, the Duchess of Sussex wore a cream halter-style dress with a V-neck, which many considered too revealing
Some people believed the mention of “nakedness” was a reference to Meghan Markle’s outfits in Nigeria, particularly a halter-style dress with a V-neck and a separate black-and-white dress with cut-out details below the chest and a front slit, both designed by Johanna Ortiz.
“Meghan Markle managed to create an international incident! We warned her about the clothes,” user @nancytsidley wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), along with a clip from Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s speech.
“This one was a big NO-NO! I was worried that the one she wore for the school visit would do the same,” wrote another social media user over a photo of the halter-style dress.
A third one added, “This gave me life. It’s about time someone put Meghan in her place.”
“At one point or another, those two were going to create international incidents,” said someone else.
However, others jumped in defense of the Duchess of Sussex, arguing that the “nakedness” part of the speech wasn’t a reference to her.
“The message is not for her. Stop giving yourself a headache because of her,” a fan commented.
In her speech, Senator Oluremi Tinubu emphasized the importance of “salvaging” Nigerian children from what she perceived as the “nakedness” of American culture
“She’s talking about Nigerian girls dressing like the Kardashians. She even said, ‘Look at Meghan, who came here,’ implying even M was interested in the country. She was talking in praise. Letting girls know they can be proud of their country. Stop twisting her words,” penned a separate X user.
In 2022, Meghan said she had found through a DNA test that she was 43% Nigerian.
During a panel discussion with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, on May 11, the 42-year-old referred to the West African nation as her “country.”
“I am very overwhelmed. So I want to start by saying thank you very much for just how gracious you’ve all been in welcoming my husband and me to this country,” she expressed.
When asked how she felt to discover she was 43% Nigerian, Meghan responded: “Being African-American, part of it is really not knowing so much about your lineage or background, where you come from specifically.
“It’s been really eye-opening and humbling to be able to know more about my heritage and to be able to know this is just the beginning of that discovery.”
During their stay, the couple participated in various activities, such as a meeting with the Chief of the Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa, and a visit to the Lights Academy, a school supported by their foundation.
Their visit culminated on May 12, when they attended a basketball game at a school in Lagos, the most populous city in the country.
“We love her and appreciate Harry,” a royal fan from Nigeria wrote
