Nigeria’s Presidency has dismissed claims that an artificial intelligence (AI)–generated image was used to depict a meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame.
The controversy arose after images circulated online on Sunday, purportedly showing the two leaders meeting in Paris. Observers questioned the authenticity after a visible Grok watermark—linked to the AI tool developed by xAI—appeared on the photographs, sparking online debate. The images were reportedly shared on social media by presidential aides, including posts attributed to the President’s media team.
Reacting on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, insisted the image was genuine. “The picture is real and not AI generated as claimed,” he said, explaining that it was taken with a mobile phone and later enhanced using Grok to improve image quality. Ajayi confirmed that President Tinubu and President Kagame met in Paris on Sunday and later dined with French President Emmanuel Macron.
However, some reports quoted President Kagame as denying that any meeting or lunch with President Tinubu took place, citing health-related reasons. TMN has not independently verified this claim, and no official statement from the Rwandan presidency was available at the time of reporting.
Nigeria and Rwanda maintain diplomatic relations and have previously held bilateral engagements during international summits.
Further clarification from both Nigerian and Rwandan officials is expected to resolve the conflicting accounts surrounding the reported meeting.