Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, the daughter of Bola Tinubu Ahmed, the newly sworn in President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, describes herself as the Iyaloja General of Nigeria. Folasade was as at the 28th of May 2023, known as the Iyaloja General of Lagos, Nigeria. She previously served as the deputy president general of the Market men & women before being crowned as the Iyaloja general of Lagos.
Her appointment as Iyaloja general of Lagos was not without controversy. Critics argued that she was not qualified in terms of age and market experience, while others believed it was a move by her father to increase his family’s power in the state. Despite these hindrances, Folasade was officially installed as the new Iyaloja on 29 October 2013, with her stepmother, Oluremi Tinubu, the Oba of Lagos, and the Alake of Egbaland in attendance.
Fast forward to the present, and Nigerians are now noticing Folasade Tinubu-Ojo’s Twitter bio, which actually reads: “This is the Official Handle of The Iyaloja General of Nigeria || The First Daughter of the FRN.”
To put things in proper context, the Lagos Iyaloja has always been described as the Iyaloja of Nigeria. However, with her father now sworn in as the 16th President of Nigeria, many are wondering if Folasade plans to actually replicate the Yoruba culture of Iya Oloja across the country, considering that such a position is only recognized among Yorubas.
Folasade Tinubu-Ojo’s appointment as Iyaloja general of Lagos may have been controversial, but it is clear that she’s in complete control of the Lagos market community. It’s common knowledge that this control is simply an extension of the grip her father has had on Lagos state since 1999. Like her father, she looks set to attempt to spread this control to other parts of Nigeria. Given the widely varying nature of Nigerian cultures, this attempt is sure to be a really tall order.