By Our Correspondent

The World Bank has urged Nigeria to strengthen its electricity supply, expand internet access and improve digital skills to ensure that artificial intelligence (AI) drives inclusive growth and creates jobs. It warned that unreliable power, poor internet connectivity, limited digital skills, and inadequate data could slow the country’s adoption of the technology.

The warning comes as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group hold their 2026 Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, from October 12 to 18. The meetings are focusing on major global economic challenges, including technology, development and employment.

The World Bank has identified sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare, finance, logistics and public administration as areas where AI could improve productivity. However, Nigeria’s ability to benefit from these opportunities depends on addressing infrastructure gaps and equipping workers with the skills needed to use the technology effectively.

World Bank Group President Ajay Banga has stressed the importance of job creation to economic development. “The bank’s entire focus has to be on jobs,” he said, highlighting the need to ensure that development efforts translate into employment opportunities.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, has also warned about AI’s potential impact on employment, describing the technology as a “slow-moving tsunami”. She said about 40 per cent of jobs worldwide could be affected by AI, underscoring the need for countries to prepare their workforces for changes in the labour market.

For Nigeria, addressing power shortages, expanding affordable internet access, improving data quality and investing in digital education will be critical to turning AI into an engine of economic growth. Without these foundations, the country risks missing opportunities to create jobs, improve public services and raise productivity across key sectors of the economy.

With additional reports from Vanguard and Reuters