• What this means for Nigeria
Matilda Omonaiye/
The World Trade Organisation, led by Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has warned that artificial intelligence could make rich countries richer while leaving poorer nations further behind.
Its new report says AI could boost global trade in goods and services by nearly 40 percent by 2040, but income growth in wealthier countries is projected to reach about 14 percent, compared to just 8 percent in poorer economies.
If developing nations manage to close even half of their digital infrastructure gap, the picture changes, with potential income growth climbing to around 15 percent.
But that will require major investments in internet access, reliable power, data centres, and digital skills, areas where many African countries, including Nigeria, still lag.
For ordinary Nigerians, the gap is easy to see. Only about half the population is online, data-centre capacity remains very limited, and AI investment is still a fraction of global spending.
Without stronger infrastructure and targeted policies, Nigeria risks being mostly a buyer of foreign-made AI products rather than a builder of homegrown solutions.
That could mean missed opportunities for young tech talents, small businesses, and even schools that might otherwise use AI tools to improve learning and productivity.
The WTO report also points to a wider structural problem, which is that most of the world’s computing power and chip production are controlled by a handful of companies in richer nations, making it harder for poorer countries to compete.
In Africa, the gap is even deeper, with the African Development Bank estimating that the continent faces an annual infrastructure financing shortfall of more than US$400 billion.
Okonjo-Iweala has urged governments not to ignore these risks.
She said investment in education, skills, and digital systems is essential if poorer nations are to benefit from AI’s opportunities instead of watching inequality grow wider.
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