Dare Babalola
The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has issued a public alert stating that she exclusively uses the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) for her official communications.
In the alert on Wednesday, Okonjo-Iweala warned Nigerians about a fake video circulating online, which has been manipulated using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and urged the public to exercise caution to avoid falling victim to potential scams.
She clarified that the video, which falsely utilised her likeness, is not genuine and is currently being investigated by the relevant authorities.
“Just alerting Nigerians. Another fake AI-manipulated video. The authorities are handling it. Just wanted to alert you to be aware of this,” she said.
The former Minister of Finance reiterated that she does not operate accounts on popular social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp, stressing that any content appearing there under her name is fraudulent.
“As I repeatedly said, I never post anything on Instagram, Facebook or WhatsApp. Anything emanating from these sources with my image is not from me. I only post on Twitter/X. I just don’t want people to be duped,” she added.
She attached the AI-generated video to the X post.
She noted that the AI-generated video, which falsely featured her image, appeared to be promoting a get-rich-quick scheme, but emphasised that the advertisement was entirely fabricated and not associated with her or the WTO.
