The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre has drawn mixed reactions after posting an artificial intelligence-generated image of First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, depicted frying and selling akara.

The post surfaced days after the First Lady’s comments encouraging women to take up small-scale businesses like selling akara, roasted corn and kuli-kuli sparked controversy online. She made the remarks while promoting the Renewed Hope Initiative’s empowerment programme, stating that such businesses “don’t take much money” to start.

The statement was widely criticized on social media, with many Nigerians describing it as insensitive given the country’s economic hardship. The First Lady later clarified that the empowerment programme also covers other petty traders dealing in tomatoes, pepper, vegetables and roasted plantain.

Amid the debate, President Tinubu also playfully referred to his wife as “Iya Alakara” (Mama Akara Seller) during the Presidential Press Corps Dinner at the State House, Abuja on Thursday. The remark drew laughter from attendees and further fueled conversations online.

The AI image shared by the media centre has since added another layer to the discussion, with Nigerians reacting differently to the portrayal.

Sources: Vanguard News, Punch Newspapers, The Nation Newspaper