The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have cautioned that artificial intelligence (AI) could worsen unemployment in Nigeria and other developing countries unless governments and businesses act quickly to prepare workers and use the technology to create jobs.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva made the remarks at the “Small AI: More and Better Jobs” event on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand. She described AI as a “slow-moving tsunami.”
Georgieva said about 40 per cent of jobs worldwide could be augmented, downgraded or eliminated by AI, with the effects differing across economies and occupations. She urged countries to understand the implications of the technology and equip workers with the skills to adapt.
World Bank Group President Ajay Banga said the bank’s priority was to ensure that economic development translated into jobs.
“The bank’s entire focus has to be on jobs,” he said, adding that AI should be used to raise productivity and support job creation, not merely replace workers.
According to him, affordable and practical AI tools can help “a school, an educator, a healthcare system, an agricultural system for small farmers to get to scale.”
Banga cited the example of a farmer who uses a basic mobile phone to photograph a diseased crop and receive treatment advice. The same technology, he said, could link the farmer to seeds, fertiliser, credit, insurance and market information.
In healthcare, he said, AI-enabled tools could help frontline workers assess cases and refer patients who need specialist care to the right services.
The approach, known as “Small AI,” centres on solutions tailored to local languages, infrastructure, needs and budgets, rather than depending solely on costly, advanced AI systems.
The World Bank’s October 2026 Africa Economic Update names Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa as the continent’s leading hubs of AI activity. It noted, however, that adoption is still at an early stage and that Africa’s most immediate opportunity lies in adapting affordable AI solutions to local problems.
The report lists agriculture, education, healthcare, finance, logistics and public administration as sectors where AI could boost productivity.
It also warned that unreliable electricity, poor internet connectivity, limited digital skills and low-quality data could hinder adoption.
For Nigeria, the task is to build these foundations so that AI creates productive jobs rather than adding to existing employment pressures.
READ ALSO:
- Seyi Tinubu Admits Nigerians Are Feeling the Pain of Tinubu’s Reforms
- APC Adds Wike, Adeleke, Soludo to Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign Council
- Catholic Diocese of Gboko Shuts Schools, Hospital in Benue Community After Repeated Attacks
- 2027: APC women to run issue-based campaign on Tinubu’s record, says Edu
- BREAKING: Okorocha Arrested in Abuja, Freed on Bail
