Nigeria’s Presidency has come under public scrutiny after sharing an image that was later flagged on social media as being generated by artificial intelligence, despite claims that it depicted a real meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris.
The image was posted on Sunday through the official X account of President Tinubu and amplified by several presidential aides. It showed both leaders seated together in what was described as a private lunch engagement in the French capital, reportedly held to discuss global and African issues.
In his post, President Tinubu stated that he met privately with President Kagame to exchange views on the state of world affairs and on how Africa could navigate an evolving global environment. The message suggested a high-level diplomatic engagement between the two leaders during their time in Paris.
Shortly after the image began circulating online, the president’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, shared the same photograph, reiterating that the Nigerian leader had held a private lunch with his Rwandan counterpart. Similar messaging was also posted by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who described the meeting as one focused on world affairs and Africa’s advancement.
The photograph quickly gained traction across X, formerly known as Twitter, drawing significant attention from Nigerians and other observers. However, doubts about its authenticity soon emerged after an informational note was appended to President Tinubu’s post on the platform.
The note indicated that while reports suggested a meeting between the two presidents did take place in Paris, the image itself appeared to have been generated by artificial intelligence. According to the note, the presence of a GrokAI badge pointed to the likelihood that the photograph was not an authentic image from the event.
Grok is a generative artificial intelligence tool developed by xAI, a company owned by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. The AI system is designed to produce images, conduct real-time searches, and generate text-based responses, and it is integrated into the X platform.
The appearance of the AI-generated label intensified public debate, with many Nigerians questioning why an artificial image would be used in official presidential communication, especially in relation to an international diplomatic engagement involving another head of state.
Further fueling skepticism was the absence of any corresponding post from President Kagame. Although President Tinubu tagged the Rwandan leader in his message, there was no image, statement, or acknowledgment of the meeting on President Kagame’s verified X account.
As of the time this report was filed, President Kagame’s most recent post on the platform reportedly related to English football club Arsenal FC and dated back to late November, with no mention of a Paris meeting with the Nigerian president.
The Presidency has not issued an official explanation addressing why an AI-generated image was used or whether an authentic photograph from the reported lunch exists. There has also been no clarification on whether the artificial image was intended as a placeholder, an illustration, or an error in judgment by the president’s media team.
The incident has raised broader concerns about transparency, credibility, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in government communication. Analysts and members of the public have noted that while AI tools are becoming increasingly common, their use in sensitive areas such as diplomacy requires clear disclosure to avoid misinformation or public confusion.
For now, questions remain unanswered regarding the circumstances surrounding the image and the decision to share it through official channels. The situation continues to attract attention as Nigerians await further clarification from the Presidency on the matter.
