Deepfake: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala says viral investment promotion video is AI

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, has debunked a circulating video which showed her promoting investment opportunities for Nigerians as a deepfake.

This comes amid trends of scammers using AI to orchestrate fraudulent activities. 

In an X (formerly Twitter) post on Wednesday morning, the former Nigerian Minister of Finance tagged the viral video as a fake, AI-manipulated video, noting that appropriate authorities are handling the situation. 

In the video titled Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s Civil Investment Project, the scheme was credited as an opportunity to help Nigerians secure and grow their wealth. It noted that with a minimum of N380,000, investors will get daily returns amounting to N3 million in one week.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Tagging the video as a Ponzi scheme, Okonjo-Iweala warned Nigerians to be wary of content circulated online in her name. She noted that any, which doesn’t originate from her official X handle should be disregarded. 

“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. 

This isn’t the first time the WTO DG will find herself in the midst of her name and authority being used to misdirect Nigerians or influence actions. 

In June 2024, Dr Okonjo-Iweala debunked a viral quote attributed to her regarding Nigeria’s debt profile and subsidy removal. She noted that it was intended to disinform people while highlighting that her name is being used to fight political battles deviously.

“Therefore, I want to alert everyone that the message below is FAKE. This is a stern warning to all those trying to misuse my name for their political ends that I will continue to rebut any attempts to use my name and image falsely!”, part of her X post read.

Also in May 2024, Dr Okonjo-Iweala disregarded a claim that she was bringing investors to Nigeria.

Also Read: Deepfake: why Nigeria needs a ‘Microsoft Partnership’ before the 2027 elections.

Rising concerns around deepfakes

Dr Okonjo-Iweala’s deepfake incident and warning come amid growing global concerns about the use of artificial intelligence tools, particularly in the creation of deepfake videos, to impersonate public figures and scam innocent and unsuspecting citizens.

While the issue has continued to raise concerns about the veracity of video across social media platforms, experts have called on operators to devise and improve their content modernisation tools to prevent the circulation of deepfake videos.

In its effort to eradicate the misuse of AI to create and disseminate deepfake videos depicting public officials in compromising situations, the federal government secured a partnership with UNESCO to clean up the social media space while safeguarding freedom of expression.

According to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in May 2025, deepfake videos have damaged countless reputations and traumatised families. He added that the collaboration with UNESCO was aimed at sanitising the social media space without infringing on the freedom of expression.

He stated that UNESCO has gathered input from over 100 countries, with more than 10,000 submissions. This was used to develop a comprehensive guide for digital content creators to help uphold the integrity of the online space.

The post Deepfake: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala says viral investment promotion video is AI first appeared on Technext.