"You've Got to Be Kidding Me": Nigerians Blast Presidency Over AI Image of First Lady Selling Akara.

The Tinubu Media Centre thought they were being clever. Nigerians aren't laughing.

In what can only be described as a spectacular miscalculation, the official media arm of President Bola Tinubu decided to share an AI-generated image of First Lady Oluremi Tinubu standing behind a roadside akara stand, wearing an apron that read "Iya Alakara, fuelling the nation with love."

The post hit social media on Friday, and within hours, Nigerians had one collective response: Are you serious?

What Were They Thinking?

The image came hot on the heels of the First Lady's recent interview where she talked up small businesses like frying akara, roasting corn, and making kuli-kuli as legitimate ways to earn a living. She even mentioned that the government was handing out grants not loans to help people get started.

But here's the thing: Nigerians aren't exactly in a joking mood right now.

Social Media Erupts:

The backlash was swift and brutal. Here's what people are saying:

· @dinnydavinci didn't mince words: "Official handle of the president media? This is not comical as it should look. It is utterly ridiculous and grossly insulting. What do these people take us for??"

· @wilverzaddy accused the government of treating national suffering like entertainment: "I hope Nigerians are seeing the man they voted for using them to catch cruise? A president directly mocking the masses while the economy bites harder with high-level insecurity."

· @outtahighbee pleaded with the media team: "You guys are not helping this president of ours at all. Everybody can't sell akara and kuli-kuli now."

· @NEWTONEZEKA90 called the post tone-deaf: "Not even funny."

Wrong Place, Wrong Time:

The frustration is understandable. Nigerians are dealing with:

· Soaring inflation making basics unaffordable

· Record-high unemployment pushing families to the brink

· A cost-of-living crisis that's squeezing the middle class dry

In this climate, seeing the Presidency joke about street vending while many are doing it out of desperation, not choice felt less like encouragement and more like mockery.

What Was the First Lady Actually Saying?

In fairness, Senator Oluremi Tinubu's original comments weren't entirely off base. She was trying to highlight that you don't need millions to start certain businesses. Her point was about hope and opportunity.

But intent and perception are two very different things. And when the media team decided to visualize her words with an AI-generated photo of the First Lady playing "street vendor," they turned a potentially positive message into a PR disaster.

This wasn't just a bad post. It was a case study in how not to communicate during a national crisis.

Sometimes the best thing a media team can do is read the room. And right now, Nigerians aren't in the mood for AI-generated jokes about frying akara while they're struggling to put food on the table.

If the government wants to promote small businesses, there are ways to do it that don't feel like a slap in the face. This wasn't one of them.

What Do You Think?

Was the Presidency just trying to spread a positive message, or was this genuinely out of touch? Drop your thoughts in the comments.