The presidency has dismissed claims that a photograph of President Bola Tinubu and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris was generated using artificial intelligence.
In a statement released Monday, Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, called reports suggesting the image was AI-produced a “misrepresentation of facts.”
“The narrative that the picture of Presidents Bola Tinubu and Paul Kagame taken in Paris yesterday was AI-generated is not correct,” Ajayi said.
“Both leaders met and had lunch together during their engagements in Paris, and later joined President Macron for dinner the same evening.”
The controversy arose after a photograph circulated online showing Tinubu and Kagame seated together during a private lunch in Paris on Sunday, January 4, 2026.
The image carried a watermark from Grok, an AI-enhancement tool developed by Elon Musk’s xAI company. Social media users flagged the photo as potentially AI-generated.
Ajayi explained that the original photograph, taken with a mobile phone, was of poor quality. “The image was later enhanced using Grok to improve clarity. That does not mean it was AI-generated,” he added.
He also admonished journalists for not verifying the report before publication, saying, “The writer or editor should have asked questions before arriving at this wrong conclusion.”
President Tinubu shared the photograph on his official X account, stating: “This afternoon, I had a private lunch with H.E. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda to discuss the current state of world affairs and advancing Africa in an ever-changing global landscape.”
Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, also posted the image, noting, “President Bola Tinubu at a private lunch in Paris with the President of the Republic of Rwanda, discussing world affairs and advancing Africa. Sunday, January 4, 2026.”
A Community Note on the post suggested the image might be AI-generated, citing the Grok watermark.
However, the Presidency maintains that the photograph is authentic and that using enhancement tools should not be confused with artificial image creation.
The incident has sparked wider discussion about the use of AI tools in official government communications, particularly for international engagements.
President Tinubu has been in Europe since December 28, 2025, for the year-end break.
