ARCON Issues Strong Warning Over Fraudulent AI Ads Featuring President Tinubu

The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, or ARCON, has issued a warning to the people and organizations responsible for a phony AI-generated advertisement that features President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that the ad was created specifically to defraud Nigerians and that they should stop right away.

Facebook’s ad, which is owned by Meta Inc., was deemed false by the highest advertising regulatory agency.

The purpose of the advertisement copy, according to ARCON, was to deceive the public into funding a Ponzi scam.

On September 22, 2025, the Council revealed in a press release signed by Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, Director-General of ARCON, that preliminary inquiries have verified the content was created with artificial intelligence (AI) technology and lacked formal authorization for Nigerian public consumption.

In order to deceive and swindle gullible Nigerians, the council said, “an initial investigation reveals that the advertisement is computer/AI-generated.”

President Tinubu had no involvement whatsoever in the advertisement, ARCON said, adding that his voice and image were used illegally.

According to the statement, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not endorse or give permission for anyone to use his image to promote any investment scheme.”

It also pointed out that the Council’s Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) never reviewed or approved the commercial, which is required by law.

“The Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) did not submit the advertisement for vetting or evaluate and approve its exposure in accordance with the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act No. 23 of 2022,” Dr. Fadolapo emphasized.

As a result, ARCON has reaffirmed that pre-exposure vetting, a policy of the Nigerian government, is still an essential defense against deceptive, damaging, and inaccurate advertising.

The Federal Government’s pre-exposure vetting strategy strives to make sure all advertising are respectable, accurate, lawful, socially conscious, and free of false information, disinformation, and unsupported claims, according to the Director-General.

All media stakeholders received a strong reminder from the regulatory agency of their legal responsibilities.

“This is to remind all media owners (traditional, new media, primary digital media space owners, and secondary digital media space owners) that, as gatekeepers of advertising, marketing communications, and advertising in Nigeria, they are required by law to demand and obtain a vetting Certificate of Approval before any advertisement targeted at the Nigerian market is exposed,” ARCON emphasized.

ARCON cautioned that noncompliance with these restrictions would result in consequences. The statement said that “violations of the necessary provisions of Act No. 23 of 2022 will result in sanctions in line with the law.”

Additionally, in accordance with ARCON’s mandate, Dr. Fadolapo urged the public and advertising professionals to recommit to ethical norms. “We urge all stakeholders and the advertising community to recommit to the principles of truthful, legal, decent, and responsible advertising in Nigeria as we continue to work towards creating a more ethical and consumer-protective advertising environment,” he said.

The emergence of generative AI has brought opportunities and risks to the advertising sector, according to the Director-General. ARCON acknowledged the revolutionary potential of AI but warned against its misuse for dishonest ends.

ARCON’s caution coincides with escalating worries around the world on the use of deepfake technology in consumer marketing, politics, and finance. According to experts, in the absence of strict regulation, malicious actors may use AI tools more frequently to deceive the public, sway opinions, and commit massive fraud.

As per the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria Act No. 23 of 2022, which grants it extensive authority to examine, oversee, and penalize advertising practices in the Nigerian market, ARCON views this development as a reminder of the importance of its regulatory framework. With its most recent campaign, the council hopes to safeguard Nigerians’ financial security as well as the integrity of the country’s advertising environment.