The Presidency has dismissed claims circulating on social media and some online platforms that a photograph showing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris was generated using artificial intelligence.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described the reports as misleading and a misrepresentation of facts.
According to the Presidency, the photograph is authentic and was taken during a meeting between Presidents Tinubu and Kagame in Paris on Sunday.
The statement explained that both leaders met earlier in the day, shared a private lunch, and later attended a dinner engagement hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Addressing speculation surrounding the image’s appearance, the Presidency said the photograph was taken with a mobile phone and initially had poor visual quality. It added that an image-enhancement tool was later used to improve clarity, stressing that this did not make the photograph artificial or AI-generated.
Ajayi faulted the conclusion that the image was fabricated, noting that basic verification would have clarified the matter.
He also urged media organisations and commentators to seek proper clarification before publishing claims capable of misleading the public.