AI could help Nigeria, other developing economies achieve century of progress in decade - Report

Developing economies can achieve a century's worth of progress in a decade by embracing artificial intelligence, a World Bank report suggests. The World Development Report 2026, titled ‘The Promise of Artificial Intelligence,’ highlights AI's potential to extend crucial services like medical, legal, educational, and agricultural assistance to billions of underserved people.

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AI could help extend otherwise costly medical, legal, educational, and agricultural services to the underserved billions, doing in a decade what might otherwise take a century.

The report surveyed 777 firms in Nigeria and found that while jobs in high-income countries face a higher risk of automation, developing economies can see significant productivity boosts. The World Bank emphasizes that AI's greatest promise for these nations lies not in replacing workers but in amplifying their capabilities. "AI has thrown developing economies a lifeline, and they should seize it," stated Indermit Gill, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank Group.

Adapting small, low-cost AI tools to local conditions is key, according to the World Bank. This approach can bring better medical care, education, judicial services, and agricultural extension within reach of millions. The report, the first comprehensive assessment of AI's implications for developing countries, reveals how businesses and governments are already using AI to solve problems, analyze information, improve forecasts, and deliver services on a larger scale. These capabilities are particularly valuable in regions with limited trained professionals and public capacity.

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AI has thrown developing economies a lifeline, and they should seize it.

AI tools can empower doctors in diagnosing patients, help farmers make better crop decisions, and increase business productivity. Governments can also leverage AI for improved tax collection, social programs, disaster response, healthcare, and education. The World Bank predicts AI could significantly boost the weak growth performance of developing countries before the end of the 2020s.

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By adapting small, low-cost AI tools to local conditions, they can bring better medical care, education, judicial services and agricultural extension within reach of millions.