Reactions as Tinubu media centre shares AI image of First Lady selling Akara

The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre has come under criticism after sharing an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated image of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, frying and selling akara. The image, posted on the Presidency’s official social media accounts on Friday, depicts the First Lady at a roadside akara stand wearing an apron bearing the […]

The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre has come under criticism after sharing an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated image of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, frying and selling akara.

The image, posted on the Presidency’s official social media accounts on Friday, depicts the First Lady at a roadside akara stand wearing an apron bearing the inscription: “Iya Alakara, fueling the nation with love.”

The post followed comments by the First Lady during an interview in which she said small businesses such as frying akara, roasting corn and producing kuli kuli require relatively little start-up capital.

According to her, the Federal Government is supporting such ventures through grants rather than loans as part of efforts to improve the livelihoods of Nigerians.

“We’re trying to give hope, and to start akara business doesn’t take a lot of money. To start roasting corn, or somebody even said kuli kuli doesn’t take much. We didn’t give them a loan; we gave it to them as a grant,” she said.

The AI-generated image triggered another wave of reactions on X, with many users questioning the decision to publish it.

An X user, @dinnydavinci, wrote: “Official handle of the president media? This is not comical as it should look. It is utterly ridiculous and grossly insulting. What do these people take us for??”

Another user, @wilverzaddy, criticised the post, saying: “I hope Nigerians are seeing the man they voted for using them to catch cruise?… A president directly mocking the masses while the economy of the country bites harder with high level of insecurity in the country.”

Similarly, @outtahighbee said the post was unhelpful to the administration, writing: “You guys are not helping this president of ours at all… Everybody can’t sell akara and kuli kuli now.”

Another user, @NEWTONEZEKA90, argued that the post diverted attention from other issues attracting public interest and added that the image was “not even funny.”

Some users also expressed concern that the message conveyed by the image placed undue emphasis on informal businesses such as akara and kuli kuli as pathways to economic opportunity.

The reactions came after the First Lady’s earlier comments generated mixed responses online, with some Nigerians describing the remarks as insensitive to prevailing economic realities, while others defended them as highlighting accessible, low-cost business opportunities for people seeking to earn a living.