The Nigerian Presidency has clarified that a photograph of President Bola Tinubu and Rwandan President Paul Kagame taken in Paris on Sunday, January 4, 2026, was not generated by artificial intelligence (AI), countering widespread reports and social media speculation.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described claims that the photo was AI-generated as a “misrepresentation of facts.” He explained that the two leaders met in Paris for a private lunch and later had dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Ajayi stated that the image, which drew attention online due to the visible Grok watermark, was a genuine photograph captured on a phone. The Grok AI tool, developed by Elon Musk’s xAI company, was only used to enhance the photo quality, he clarified.
“The picture was taken with a phone and had poor quality. The photographer later used Grok to improve clarity. That is not a reason to conclude it was AI-generated,” Ajayi said, emphasizing that journalists should have verified the information before drawing conclusions.
The image was widely circulated on social media after being posted on President Tinubu’s official X account, alongside a statement highlighting discussions with Kagame on global affairs and advancing Africa’s interests.
The controversy has sparked conversations about the use of AI tools in official government communications, especially in the context of international engagements.
President Tinubu has been in Europe since December 28, 2025, for an end-of-year break.
