The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria has condemned a fake artificial intelligence-generated advertisement featuring the image of President Bola Tinubu soliciting investments in a Ponzi scheme.
In a statement, Director-General of ARCON, Olalekan Fadolapo, described the advert as a fraudulent attempt to mislead unsuspecting Nigerians.
He said, “A preliminary investigation shows that the advertisement is computer/AI-generated with the intention to mislead and defraud unsuspecting Nigerians. President Tinubu did not model for, or authorise anyone to use his image in promoting, any investment scheme.”
Fadolapo stressed that the advert was not submitted for vetting nor approved by the Advertising Standards Panel as required under the ARCON Act No. 23 of 2022.
“The purpose of the Federal Government’s policy of pre-exposure vetting is to ensure all advertisements are decent, truthful, legal, socially responsible and devoid of misinformation, disinformation and unsubstantiated claims,” he added.
He warned media owners, including traditional, digital, and social media platforms, against exposing adverts that had not been vetted.
“As gatekeepers of advertising and marketing communications in Nigeria, they are required by law to demand and obtain a vetting Certificate of Approval before the exposure of any advertisement targeted at the Nigerian market,” the DG said.
