AI Threatens 40% of Global Jobs, IMF Warns
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have warned that artificial intelligence (AI) could worsen Nigeria’s employment crisis if governments and businesses fail to prepare workers for technological changes. IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, gave the warning at the Small AI: More and Better Jobs event during the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, describing AI as a “slow-moving tsunami”. She said about 40 per cent of jobs globally could be augmented, downgraded or eliminated by the technology, stressing the need to equip workers with relevant skills. World Bank Group President, Ajay Banga, said the institution’s priority was to ensure economic development translates into jobs, arguing that AI should improve productivity and create employment rather than simply replace workers.
Banga highlighted the potential of affordable, locally adapted AI applications to support small-scale farmers, educators and healthcare workers. He explained that farmers could use basic mobile phones to identify crop diseases and access treatment advice, agricultural inputs, credit, insurance and market information, while AI-enabled tools could help frontline health workers assess cases and connect patients to specialists. The World Bank’s October 2026 Africa Economic Update identifies Nigeria, alongside Kenya and South Africa, as a leading centre of AI activity on the continent, while noting that adoption remains at an early stage. Agriculture, education, healthcare, finance, logistics and public administration are among the sectors where AI could improve productivity. However, unreliable electricity, inadequate internet connectivity, limited digital skills and poor-quality data remain major barriers, prompting calls for Nigeria to strengthen its digital infrastructure and ensure AI supports productive employment rather than deepening existing job pressures.
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