Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has come out in support of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, after internet users claimed that she had criticized the duchess’ fashion choices during her recent visit to the country. 

The controversy arose when footage of a speech by Tinubu, discussing issues facing Nigeria’s youth population, was published online, with some interpreting her comments as a critique of Meghan’s wardrobe.

In the speech, Tinubu said, “We don’t accept nakedness in our culture. They are all beautiful girls, but they should be confident to know they are. They don’t want to be like… even 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.”

The First Lady’s remarks were widely spread on social media and reported by mainstream media outlets, with many claiming that she had used Meghan as an example and that her reference to “nakedness” was a criticism of the duchess’ fashion choices during her visit.

However, the office of the First Lady has now issued a statement backing Meghan and pushing back against what they consider to be a false narrative. 

“She meant Meghan appreciates the people we are and hence her coming here,” the First Lady’s office told international news agency Agence France-Presse on May 30. “At no point did she say anything about Meghan’s dressing.”

The vote of confidence from Tinubu’s office comes as Meghan and Prince Harry were generally well-received during their three-day visit to Nigeria between May 10 and 12. 

The couple was officially invited to visit the West African nation by General Christopher Musa, the country’s top-ranking military representative, with many of the events they undertook during their stay connected to Harry’s veterans sports tournament, the Invictus Games.

Meghan had previously revealed on an episode of her Archetypes podcast that she discovered through a genealogy test that she is 43 percent Nigerian and thanked Nigerians for “welcoming me home” during her stay in the country.

The couple’s visit raised eyebrows in Britain as it closely mirrored official tours undertaken by members of the royal family on behalf of the monarchy and U.K. government. 

When Harry and Meghan split from the monarchy in 2020 and stepped down from their roles as working royals, they relinquished their responsibilities to undertake these tours.

Despite the controversy surrounding the misinterpreted speech, Meghan’s wardrobe during the visit won praise from the fashion press. 

However, critics online argued that the duchess’ bare-shouldered looks were incongruous with the modest form of dressing adopted by a large percentage of the country’s estimated 50 percent Muslim population.

The couple’s visit was not without its challenges, as it was revealed that they had used the commercial airline Air Peace for internal travel between the cities of Abuja and Lagos. Allen Onyema, Air Peace chief executive and founder, is currently wanted in the U.S. on a fraud indictment from 2019. 

While it is unclear whether Harry and Meghan were aware of this at the time, commentators have noted that this is a mistake they cannot afford to repeat if they are to continue making international visits.

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