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 statements about small businesses sparked considerable outrage on social media.
The photograph, shared on the Presidency’s official social media pages on Friday, depicted the First Lady at a roadside akara stand, 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 begin.
Oluremi Tinubu stated that the Federal Government was assisting such projects with grants rather than loans as part of its efforts to improve livelihoods and promote small businesses.
“We’re trying to give optimism, and starting an akara business does not cost a lot of money. To begin roasting maize, or as one person put it, kuli kuli, does not require much. “We didn’t give them a loan; we gave them a grant,” she explained.
Her remarks, however, elicited conflicting 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 that she was only directing attention to small companies that anybody could start with modest funding.
The President’s choice to release the AI-generated image has fueled the dispute.
Supporters of the tweet described it as a lighthearted response to criticism, as well as an attempt to reinforce the First Lady’s message of entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
Others, however, criticized the image, claiming that it trivialized the economic suffering that many Nigerians are experiencing, particularly at a time when growing living costs have made survival difficult for households and small business owners.
The debate comes amid ongoing public discussions about poverty, unemployment, food inflation, and the impact of government economic changes on ordinary Nigerians.
Many critics questioned whether government officials properly comprehended the magnitude of residents’ hardships, rather than whether small enterprises could support families.
The following are some reactions to the AI image of the First Lady selling Akara.