Nigeria emerging one of Africa’s AI hubs ― World Bank

The World Bank says Nigeria is emerging as one of Africa’s leading centres of Artificial Intelligence activity, alongside Kenya and South Africa.

The World Bank said AI activity on the continent was currently concentrated in the three economies, although adoption remained at an early stage across most African countries.

The finding is contained in the World Bank’s latest Africa Economic Update, which places special focus on “Building AI-Readiness” across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The report identifies Artificial Intelligence as a potentially powerful tool for raising productivity, creating jobs and improving delivery of essential services across the continent.

According to the Bank, Africa does not necessarily need to compete with advanced economies in developing the world’s most sophisticated frontier AI systems.

Instead, it said the continent’s greatest immediate opportunity lies in adopting affordable, locally adapted AI applications capable of solving everyday development problems.

Such applications could be deployed in education, agriculture, healthcare, finance, logistics and public administration.

The World Bank said low-bandwidth AI tools could, for instance, support student learning and help farmers identify and manage livestock diseases.

They could also help small businesses automate routine functions such as accounting and improve productivity.

The World Bank Chief Economist for the Africa Region, Andrew Dabalen, said African governments should build the foundations required to take advantage of the technology.

Dabalen said investment in an AI-ready economy could unlock productivity gains, spur innovation and accelerate structural transformation.

He noted: “The next challenge is turning growth into more jobs and better opportunities.

“By investing in the foundations of an AI-ready economy, African countries can unlock productivity gains, spur innovation, and accelerate the structural transformation needed to raise living standards and reduce poverty.”

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The World Bank, however, warned that significant infrastructure and institutional gaps could prevent many African countries from fully benefiting from the emerging technology.

It identified reliable electricity, affordable internet connectivity, digital skills, quality data and computing infrastructure among the critical requirements for successful AI adoption.

The World Bank called for greater regional cooperation, including through the African Union’s Continental AI Strategy and the African Continental Free Trade Area.

The bank said such cooperation could help African countries scale AI-enabled solutions and generate more and better jobs.