The Presidency has dismissed claims that a photograph showing President Bola Tinubu with Rwandan President Paul Kagame during a meeting in Paris was generated using artificial intelligence.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, described reports suggesting the image was AI-generated as a misrepresentation of facts.

Ajayi said the photograph was genuine and confirmed that President Tinubu and President Kagame met in Paris on Sunday, where they shared a private lunch.

He added that both leaders later joined French President Emmanuel Macron for dinner the same day.

According to Ajayi, the controversy arose because the original photograph, taken with a mobile phone, was of poor quality and was later enhanced using the Grok tool to improve clarity.

“The narrative that the picture of Presidents Bola Tinubu and Paul Kagame taken in Paris was AI-generated is not correct,” Ajayi said, stressing that enhancing image quality does not make a photograph artificial or fake.

He criticised journalists and commentators who concluded that the image was AI-generated without proper verification, urging the media to seek clarification before publishing such claims.

The photograph, which carried a Grok watermark, had sparked debate on social media after it was shared on the President’s official X handle.

Some users suggested the image was artificially generated, leading to the addition of a Community Note questioning its authenticity.

President Tinubu had earlier stated that the meeting with Kagame focused on global developments and advancing Africa’s interests in a rapidly changing world.

His Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also shared the image, describing the engagement as a private lunch between the two leaders in Paris.

The development has reignited discussions around the use of AI-enhanced images in official government communications, especially in relation to sensitive diplomatic engagements.

President Tinubu has been in Europe since December 28, 2025, after departing Nigeria for an end-of-year break.