Apex regulatory authority in the nation’s advertising space, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has expressed concerns over a fake AI- generated advertisement, using the image and video of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to solicit for investment in a Ponzi scheme, while warning  media owners to ensure promotional items, used on their spaces, get the required approval before exposure.

The agency, in a statement signed by its  Director General, Dr. Lekan Fadolapo, and made available to Brands Track Online, on Tuesday, charged  the general public to be wary of the  existence of the fake advert.

It disclosed it had already carried out  preliminary investigations, which, unfortunately, revealed the AI-generated content is being circulated on the social media platforms, with the intention of defrauding unsuspecting Nigerians.

The apex regulatory body in the nation’s marketing communications space, noted that the president did not, at any time, model for, or authorise anyone to use his image in promoting any investment scheme.

Besides, it stated that the content was also neither submitted to the agency for vetting, nor given  approval for exposure by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), in line with 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,” it stated.

ARCON,  therefore, appealed to media owners: traditional, new media, primary digital media space owners, and  secondary digital media space owners,  to effectively play their gatekeeping roles in the industry, by demanding for a vetting Certificate of Approval before exposing any promotional contents on their platforms.

While charging other stakeholders in the industry to recommit to the rules and principles guiding responsible advertising in Nigeria, the agency warned that violation of the requisite provisions  of Act No. 23 of 2022 would attract sanctions in accordance with the law.