The Presidency has debunked claims that a photograph showing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris was generated using artificial intelligence (AI), calling such reports “false and misleading.”

The clarification was made on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, following widespread social media speculation and media commentary questioning the authenticity of the image.

According to Ajayi, the photograph, shared by Presidential Spokesman Bayo Onanuga on his Facebook page, is genuine and was taken during an official engagement between the two leaders in Paris on Sunday.

Ajayi explained that Presidents Tinubu and Kagame met in Paris for lunch together, later joining French President Emmanuel Macron for dinner. The image in question was captured with a mobile phone, which initially affected its quality, and was subsequently enhanced digitally to improve clarity—but this enhancement does not make it AI-generated.

“The picture is real and not AI-generated as claimed. The photographer only later used Grok to improve the picture quality. That is not a reason to conclude it was AI-generated,” Ajayi stated.

He also criticized media reports suggesting the image was fake, stressing that journalists and editors should have verified the facts before publishing.

The Presidency urged both the media and the public to exercise caution and verify information before circulating claims that could mislead citizens.