ARCON Moves Against AI-Generated Health Ads Using Minister’s Image and Voice
The use of artificial intelligence to create misleading product endorsements is drawing renewed regulatory scrutiny in Nigeria, following a warning by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) over a TikTok advertisement allegedly using the image and voice of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, to promote men’s health medications.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, the council said the advertisement was designed to create the impression that the minister had endorsed a product advertised for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction and other men’s health conditions.
According to ARCON, preliminary investigations indicated that the minister’s image and voice had been generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence to create a false endorsement. The council warned that the content could mislead consumers, expose unsuspecting Nigerians to deceptive health claims and potentially facilitate fraud.
The incident highlights a growing challenge for the advertising industry: as AI tools make it easier to produce convincing images, voices and videos, fabricated endorsements can give questionable products an appearance of credibility, particularly when public officials or other recognisable figures appear to recommend them.
Digital advertising faces tougher scrutiny
ARCON disclosed that it had identified similar advertisements promoting unapproved traditional and herbal remedies on TikTok and other social media platforms. In response, Fadolapo said the council had mandated a special monitoring and enforcement task force to identify and flag advertisements that violate applicable advertising regulations across digital channels.
The initiative signals increased attention to the content of online promotions, where misleading claims and manipulated identities can circulate rapidly among consumers.
The council also warned advertisers, advertising agencies and platform owners against using individuals’ images, voices or identities to promote products without proper authorisation. It said it would pursue legal action against parties found responsible for unethical advertising.
“The era of false and misleading advertising, advertisement and marketing communication is over,” Fadolapo declared.
Health and wellness brands under pressure
The alleged advertisement raises particular concerns for the health and wellness market, where consumers may rely on endorsements and product claims when making decisions about treatments and remedies.
An endorsement that appears to come from a senior government health official can create an impression of authority and legitimacy. If fabricated, that impression could influence purchasing decisions without consumers realising that the person featured never made the recommendation.
ARCON urged Nigerians to exercise caution when encountering online advertisements that promise treatment for medical conditions, make unrealistic claims or feature endorsements that cannot be independently verified.
The council also called on the public to report advertisements suspected of being deceptive, unethical or illegal.
Part of a wider enforcement drive
The latest warning comes amid a series of ARCON statements addressing compliance across digital and political advertising.
On August 31, 2026, the council warned politicians, political parties, campaign organisations, advertising agencies and media owners against publishing political advertisements without prior approval from its Advertising Standards Panel. It said some advertisements brought to its attention had allegedly breached religious and ethnic guidelines and provisions of the Nigerian Code of Advertising.
At a media briefing in September, ARCON reiterated that advertisements published on digital platforms remain subject to applicable advertising requirements and that violations could attract enforcement action, including referrals to the Advertising Offences Tribunal.
The council’s regulatory position has also featured in legal proceedings. In June 2026, the Federal High Court in Lagos dismissed an interlocutory application by Watercress Hotel International Limited and Samuel Ayinde seeking to restrain ARCON from taking regulatory or enforcement action while their substantive case remained pending. The ruling addressed the interim application rather than finally determining the underlying dispute.
Together, these developments underline the regulator’s continued focus on advertising compliance regardless of the medium used to reach consumers.
Implications for the advertising industry
For advertisers, agencies and digital platforms, the controversy reinforces the need for stronger verification of endorsements, closer scrutiny of AI-generated promotional materials and compliance with applicable approval requirements.
It also places greater responsibility on brands and marketing communication practitioners to ensure that the people featured in their campaigns have genuinely authorised the use of their identities and that health-related claims are not misleading.
While AI offers new creative possibilities for advertising, its use in fabricating endorsements can undermine consumer trust and expose businesses to reputational and legal risks.
ARCON maintained that its regulatory concern is the nature, purpose and compliance of advertising content rather than simply the platform on which it appears. It urged practitioners to uphold the principles of truthful, legal, decent and responsible advertising.
As AI-generated content becomes increasingly convincing, the case highlights a critical issue for Nigeria’s advertising ecosystem: protecting consumers will require not only regulatory enforcement but also vigilance from advertisers, platforms and the public.
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