News
AI, digital infrastructure to shape Africa’s next growth phase, World Bank says – Technology Times
Artificial intelligence, innovation and digital infrastructure will play a defining role in Africa’s next phase of economic growth, as global development leaders urge governments across the continent to adopt forward-looking strategies capable of unlocking opportunities in an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
The call was made at the opening of the 7th Africa Emerging Markets Forum (AEMF 2026) hosted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Abuja, where policymakers, economists and development institutions examined strategies for strengthening Africa’s economic resilience and competitiveness.
Indermit Gill, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics at the World Bank Group, said artificial intelligence presents significant opportunities for developing economies and should form part of their long-term economic strategies.
Gill urged governments to adopt “bold and forward-looking AI strategies”, arguing that developing economies must position themselves to benefit from the technology as it reshapes productivity, investment and global competitiveness.
The opening day featured a high-level fireside dialogue between Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, who examined global economic shifts and the strategic choices that will influence Africa’s next phase of development. Their discussion considered how African economies can respond to changing global conditions while positioning themselves to benefit from innovation, trade and investment opportunities.
The remarks came as technology emerged as a recurring theme during discussions on the forces transforming the global economy and the policy choices available to African countries seeking to accelerate growth.
The opening day featured a high-level fireside dialogue between Olayemi Cardoso, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, who examined global economic shifts and the strategic choices that will influence Africa’s next phase of development.
Their discussion considered how African economies can respond to changing global conditions while positioning themselves to benefit from innovation, trade and investment opportunities.
The forum was opened by Muhammad Sani Abdullahi, CBN Deputy Governor, Corporate Services; Harinder Kohli, Founding Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Emerging Markets Forum; and Chukwuka Onyekwena, who welcomed policymakers and economic leaders from Africa and other regions.
Macroeconomic stability also featured prominently, with a panel on “Navigating Global Shocks: Monetary Policy Challenges for African Central Banks” examining how monetary authorities can respond to inflation, external shocks and economic uncertainty.
Digital transformation was a major focus of a separate panel on “Deepening Regional Economic Integration Through Cross-Border Payments, Fintech, Infrastructure and Policy Coordination.”
The session examined how fintech, digital payments and infrastructure investment can support cross-border trade, strengthen economic connectivity and accelerate regional integration.
The discussions reflect growing recognition that Africa’s digital transformation is increasingly intertwined with its broader economic development ambitions. Digital infrastructure is becoming a foundation for financial inclusion, cross-border commerce and innovation, while emerging technologies such as AI are creating new possibilities for productivity and economic diversification.
For African economies, the challenge will be converting these opportunities into measurable economic gains through investment in connectivity, digital skills, innovation ecosystems and appropriate policy frameworks.
The AEMF 2026 discussions therefore placed technology alongside macroeconomic policy, trade and investment as a critical component of Africa’s competitiveness.
With AI, fintech, digital infrastructure and regional integration featuring prominently on the opening day, the forum underscored a growing consensus that Africa’s ability to compete in the global economy will increasingly depend on how effectively its countries adopt and deploy emerging technologies while building the infrastructure and policies needed to support them.
Stay ahead with real-time reports, breaking news, and exclusive insights delivered directly to your phone. Don’t settle for outdated information. Join TECHNOLOGYTIMES NEWS on WhatsApp for 24/7 updates.
Join Our Whatsapp Channel
The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to the controversy that trailed the visit of the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, to the state last week.
DAILY POST reports that less than 24 hours before Obi’s visit for a town hall meeting, the NDC camp alleged that the state government had instructed the owners of the venue booked for the event to deny them access.
However, the event eventually held, with the venue owners categorically stating that the NDC had not booked the facility but had instead used a medical organisation as a front.
In a statement on Sunday, Steve Oruruo, Spokesperson and Director of Public Communications of the Enugu APC Campaign Council, accused the NDC of contriving layers of spurious allegations.
According to Oruruo, “Silence could have been golden, save for the brazen frivolity that characterised the chronicled and dramatised falsehood intentionally deployed to embarrass and impugn the image of the entire state, and invariably validate their next lie in the sequence of street-level mendacities, while an unsuspecting section of the populace may remain confused.”
He called on the people of the state to rise above what he described as barefaced antics, gimmicks and shenanigans from the pit of hell.
He said the explanation by the event centre owners had exposed the NDC's alleged lying machinery, stressing that “one Dr Sabastine Chuks Eze, a disguised client who paraded himself as the Registrar of the Nigeria Institute of Healthcare Givers and Medical Social Work Practitioners, in which he assented to the right of the aforesaid management to halt any activity, meeting, or event not conducted strictly in accordance with the stipulated rules of engagement, eventually metamorphosed into an NDC contract to host a town hall meeting at the behest of former Governor Peter Obi.”
Oruruo stated that, in a fruitless bid to deceive what he described as a highly elitist and intellectually persuaded Enugu electorate, Mrs Ada Ogbu and her dramatis personae threw caution to the wind in what perhaps turned out to be an attempt to muddy the waters through unforced errors.
“Where is the ecclesiastical rectitude, untainted probity, and self-acclaimed morality that former Governor Peter Obi preaches? Have they not been cascaded to Enugu NDC members?” Oruruo queried.
He further stated that “Enugu NDC has failed on arrival. It is almost non-existent in Enugu and perhaps gains its only infinitesimal traction whenever the state government or the name of our erudite Governor is mentioned in its tales of woes.
“Mischievously linking uncharitable words or deeds, without verifiable facts, to a revered state that the NDC purportedly intends to govern is antithetical to the minimum acceptable trust values and the widely acknowledged enviable security profile of Enugu State.”
While urging Mrs Ada Ogbu to apologise to the people of Enugu State, the APC said she would realise the extent to which she had offended the sensibilities and temperament of residents.
Oruruo said the 2027 elections should be about issues, ideas and the definitive capacity to deliver, stressing that the state remained peaceful and accommodating.
Peter Obi’s visit: Enugu NDC dead on arrival, thriving on alarmism – APC
News
“Brazil Must Be Ready for Nigeria” — SSA Adeboye Hails Flamingos, Backs Girls for Historic World Cup Final
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Grassroots Sports Development, Hon. Adeyinka Anthony Adeboye, has congratulated Nigeria’s Flamingos on their dramatic 1-0 victory over Venezuela in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, expressing confidence that the team can overcome Brazil and reach a historic final.
An 89th-minute penalty converted by A. Oduntan secured Nigeria’s semi-final ticket, extending the Flamingos’ winning streak to four matches following victories over Puerto Rico, North Korea and Mexico.
Adeboye, who recently travelled to Morocco to personally support the team, described the performance as another demonstration of the remarkable fighting spirit, discipline and determination of Nigeria’s young female footballers.
“These girls are too good! Their fighting spirit is exceptional, and what they have achieved so far deserves national recognition. They have shown that Nigerian football has a very bright future,” Adeboye stated.
Looking ahead to Wednesday’s semi-final against Brazil, the Presidential aide challenged the Flamingos to maintain their confidence and approach the encounter without fear.
“Brazil must be ready for Nigeria. We respect their football pedigree, but our girls have demonstrated that they can compete with the best. They are just one victory away from making history, and I strongly believe they can reach the final,” he added.
Adeboye commended head coach Hakeem Busari and his technical crew for the team’s remarkable recovery following their opening defeat to Poland.
He stressed that the Flamingos’ achievements reinforce the need for sustained investment in grassroots sports, particularly girls’ football, talent identification and structured youth development.
According to him, the forthcoming National Grassroots Sports Development Summit, scheduled for November 18–19 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, will provide an important platform for strengthening opportunities for emerging Nigerian athletes.
“These girls represent the future we are working to build. We must create an environment where every talented Nigerian child can develop and succeed,” he said.
Adeboye urged Nigerians to rally behind the Flamingos as they pursue their first-ever World Cup final appearance.
-
News4 days agoGranola crunches up a dictation feature to compete with Wispr
-
News2 days ago
Nvidia weighs playing the cosigner for Nscale’s AI data center in West Virginia
-
News3 days ago
Satlyt takes another step toward turning satellites into space data centers
-
News3 days ago
'Sowore, you can’t fight alone’ – Isaac Fayose reacts to attack on AAC candidate
