The Presidency has sparked widespread discussion after sharing an artificial intelligence-generated image of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu portraying her as an akara seller.
The image was posted on Friday through the official X account of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre.
In the illustration, the First Lady is shown wearing an apron while frying akara beside a signboard bearing the inscription, “Iya Alakara – Hot and Fresh Akara.
“Post follows Tinubu’s public remark
The AI-generated image surfaced just hours after President Bola Tinubu jokingly referred to the First Lady as “Iya Alakara” during the inaugural Presidential Press Corps Dinner held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja.
The nickname also follows Mrs Tinubu’s recent remarks at the launch of the Renewed Hope Initiative’s Flow with Confidence campaign, where she encouraged women and young Nigerians to explore small-scale businesses that require modest capital.
Among the businesses she mentioned were selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli.
Social media users express mixed views
The post quickly generated reactions across X, with users expressing differing opinions about the decision to publish the AI image.
While some defended the post as a light-hearted illustration inspired by the First Lady’s comments, others criticised it, arguing that it was inappropriate given the country’s economic and security challenges.
Several users questioned the timing of the post, while others viewed it as an attempt to reinforce the First Lady’s message about entrepreneurship.
The image has continued to fuel debate online, highlighting the varying public responses to government communication on social media.