Nigeria: Ignore Doctored Photo of Nigeria's Bola Tinubu and France's Emmanuel Macron Dressed in Yoruba Attire

11 December 2024
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Allwell Okpi

Ignore doctored photo of Nigeria's Bola Tinubu and France's Emmanuel Macron dressed in Yoruba attire

IN SHORT: A photo showing the presidents of France and Nigeria wearing Yoruba attire has been circulating on social media in Nigeria since November 2024. But the photo was manipulated.

A photo has been posted on Facebook claiming to show Nigerian president Bola Tinubu and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, wearing Yoruba attire. They appear to be accompanied by their wives.

"Owambe Friday in France as President Bola Tinubu, President Emmanuel Macron and their spouses wear Yoruba traditional attire," reads the post in a Facebook group with over 91,400 members.

Another post featuring the same photo says: "From Africa made in France. Presidents Emmanuel Macron and wife along with Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife in the yoruba Attire popularly known as Àşo Oké."

Tinubu is Yoruba, and "owambe" is a term popularly used for "party", especially in southwest Nigeria.

The posts imply that Tinubu influenced the Macrons to dress up in Yoruba attire during his three-day state visit to France in November 2024.

The claim can also be found here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of the report.)

Did the Macrons wear Yoruba attire while hosting the Tinubus in the French capital, Paris? We checked.

Photo manipulated

Multiple reverse image searches using Google Lens and Yandex showed that the circulating photo was created using elements from at least two different photos.

The background and their positioning came from an official photo of a state dinner the French government organised for Tinubu at the Élysée Palace in Paris on 28 November.

Tinubu's special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, posted the photo on X, along with a press statement.

In the original photo, Macron wore a blue suit and Brigitte Macron a brown jacket. Tinubu wore a navy blue kaftan with his characteristic cap, while Oluremi Tinubu wore a navy blue jacket.

The attire worn by Bola Tinubu and the Macrons in the circulating image originated in a photo taken at a Nigerian traditional wedding posted on Pinterest by Vogue magazine.

Parts of the image look blurry, which is typical of photos that have been digitally manipulated.

The claim that the photo shows the presidents and first ladies of Nigeria and France wearing Yoruba attire is false.

The false claim was also posted here, here, here, here and here.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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