Faisal Salisu DambattaThe Presidency has come under public scrutiny following the circulation of an image purportedly showing President Bola Tinubu in a private meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris, which was later flagged on X (formerly Twitter) as being generated by artificial intelligence.
The image, shared on Sunday by President Tinubu and several of his aides, quickly went viral on social media. It showed both leaders seated together in what was described as a private lunch held in the French capital. According to the Presidency, the meeting focused on discussions around global developments and Africa’s position in a rapidly changing international landscape.
In his post, President Tinubu stated: “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.”
Presidential aides echoed the claim. The President’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, described the engagement as a private lunch between the two leaders in Paris. Similarly, the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, shared the image with a caption stating that the leaders discussed world affairs and Africa’s progress during the meeting held on Sunday, January 4, 2026.
However, doubts over the authenticity of the image soon emerged. An X community note attached to President Tinubu’s post stated that although reports indicated that a meeting between the two leaders may have taken place, the image itself appeared to be AI-generated, citing the presence of a GrokAI badge.
Grok is a generative artificial intelligence tool developed by xAI, a company owned by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. The tool is capable of generating realistic images, conducting real-time internet searches, and producing text-based responses, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish between real and synthetic content online.
The controversy has been further fuelled by the absence of any confirmation from the Rwandan side. Despite President Tinubu tagging President Kagame in the post, neither the image nor any mention of the meeting appeared on Kagame’s verified X account. As of the time of filing this report, the Rwandan leader’s most recent post was unrelated, focusing instead on English football club Arsenal FC.
The Presidency has yet to clarify why an AI-generated image was used to illustrate an official diplomatic engagement or whether an authentic photograph from the reported meeting exists. The silence has sparked wider debate among Nigerians, with many questioning the implications of using artificial intelligence in official presidential communication, particularly in sensitive matters involving international diplomacy and state relations.
