The President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre has posted an AI-generated image of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, frying and selling akara, only days after her comments against small-scale enterprises sparked considerable condemnation online.
The image, which was shared on the Presidency’s official social media pages on Friday, featured the First Lady at a roadside akara kiosk, wearing an apron with the statement, “Iya Alakara, fueling the nation with love.”
The tweet was believed to follow remarks made by the First Lady during an interview, in which she stated that micro-enterprises such as frying akara, roasting corn, and producing kuli kuli required minimal capital to get started.
Oluremi Tinubu stated that the Federal Government is supporting such initiatives with grants rather than loans as part of its efforts to enhance livelihoods and boost small businesses.
“We are trying to give optimism, and starting an akara business does not require a lot of money. It doesn’t take much to start roasting maize or, as one person put it, kuli kuli. “We did not give them a loan; we gave them a grant,” she explained.
Her words, however, elicited varied reactions from Nigerians, particularly on social media.
While some critics accused the First Lady of being insensitive to the terrible economic realities that many citizens face, others praised her, claiming she was simply directing attention to small companies that anybody could start with minimal assistance.
The President’s choice to publish the AI-generated image has fueled the dispute.
Supporters of the article described it as a lighthearted rebuttal to criticism and an attempt to underscore the First Lady’s message of entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
Others, however, criticized the image, claiming that it trivialized the economic hardships that many Nigerians face, particularly at a time when growing living costs have made life difficult for households and small businesses.
The controversy comes amid ongoing public debates over poverty, unemployment, food inflation, and the effects of government economic policies on ordinary Nigerians.
Many critics questioned whether government officials really recognized the extent of poverty faced by citizens, rather than whether small enterprises could support families.
Here are some reactions to the AI image of the First Lady selling Akara.
