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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Media Centre has stirred fresh controversy after sharing an AI-generated image of First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu frying and selling akara, days after her remarks on micro-enterprises attracted widespread criticism on social media.
The image, posted on the Presidency’s official social media accounts on Friday, showed the First Lady at a roadside akara stand wearing an apron bearing the inscription, “Iya Alakara, fueling the nation with love.”
The post came shortly after Oluremi Tinubu, during an interview, said businesses such as frying akara, roasting corn and producing kuli kuli require minimal capital to start. She explained that the Federal Government was providing grants—not loans—to support such small-scale enterprises as part of efforts to improve livelihoods.
“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.
Her remarks generated mixed reactions, with critics accusing her of being insensitive to the country’s economic realities, while supporters argued she was simply highlighting accessible business opportunities.
The AI-generated image has further intensified the debate, with some Nigerians describing it as a humorous response to critics, while others said it trivialised the economic hardship facing millions of citizens.
Reacting on X, user @Top_GunM wrote, “It’s unfortunate that this is what the wife of the president of the most populous Black nation in the world is being reduced to.”
Another user, #mizmuchstella, criticised the Presidency’s media team, saying the post failed to project the government positively and called for those responsible for managing the account to be removed.
User #WilverZaddy described the image as evidence that the government was mocking Nigerians amid worsening economic conditions and insecurity.
Similarly, #ChimaAmako82045 called the post an insult to Nigerians, while #outtahighbee argued that the Presidency was damaging President Tinubu’s image by turning a sensitive national issue into a joke.
Another X user, #gentrytee22, said the image reflected how poorly the government regarded ordinary citizens, describing it as “a nationwide meme.”
Highlighting rising living costs, #AminJaman noted that even akara had become more expensive because of increasing prices of beans, cooking oil, transport and cooking gas.
However, not all reactions were critical. User #SirTimeyin defended the Presidency, arguing that many Nigerians had already turned the First Lady’s comments into memes before the government joined in with the AI image.
Another supporter, #sto0511M, welcomed the post and urged the Presidency to continue releasing similar content.
The latest controversy comes a day after President Bola Tinubu jokingly referred to the First Lady as “Iya Alakara”during the Presidential Press Corps Dinner at the State House in Abuja. Smiling while acknowledging dignitaries at the event, the President used the nickname in what appeared to be a light-hearted reference to the ongoing public debate over her comments on small-scale businesses.
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