International Growth Centre

New resource: the IGC 𝗔𝗜 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 is live.

has the potential to help governments deliver better public services and strengthen public institutions. But realising that potential requires clear thinking, strong governance and a focus on solving real policy challenges.

💻 We are excited to share the IGC AI Playbook for Government: an open-source resource designed to help policymakers adopt AI responsibly and effectively. It provides frameworks to help 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, ask the right questions, and think through trade-offs while incorporating their own local expertise.

The playbook takes users through the key questions governments should consider, including:

💡 Identifying high-value policy use cases
💡 Assessing whether AI is the right tool for the problem
💡 Building the data and institutional foundations for success
💡 Deploying AI responsibly, with risk assessments and mitigation plans
💡 Building for successful adoption and measurable impact, combining best practices from the technology sector with real-world public sector considerations

We hope this practical guide helps policymakers make better-informed decisions that improve people's lives.

IGC AI Playbook for Government Five steps to identify and pilot an AI solution in your government.

Our new 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 looks at IGC’s long-term work to strengthen local revenue through property tax reform in Sierra Leone.

IGC has worked alongside the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD), the Local Government Revenue Initiative (LoGRI), the Government of Sierra Leone and local councils, combining rigorous research, piloting, implementation support and policy engagement.

The results are significant. In , the number of registered properties nearly doubled, from 57,000 to more than 109,000, while potential property tax revenue increased nearly fivefold💰. In 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗮, the property roll also nearly doubled, with estimated annual revenue potential increasing nearly threefold.

The case study shows that beyond a successful pilot, transformational change requires building coalitions, adapting reforms to local contexts, strengthening institutions and sustaining political and administrative commitment.

✒️ The reform is now being implemented across Freetown, Kenema and Makeni, with plans for further expansion to Bo and Koidu New Sembehun.

https://www.theigc.org/publications/transformational-change-case-strengthening-local-revenue-through-property-tax-reform

What holds back 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 in Zambia’s retail sector?

🔍 New IGC-funded research finds that the answer may differ from firm to firm.

Looking at single-establishment retailers in Lusaka, researchers identify three distinct dimensions of productivity: attracting customers, managing logistics, and choosing the right mix of products.

The findings suggest that one-size-fits-all approaches to supporting small businesses can miss the mark.

Diagnosing where individual face constraints could help policymakers design more targeted – and effective – interventions.

📄 Read the blog by Ajay Shenoy, Heather Huntington, and Brenda Samaniego de la Parra to explore the findings and their implications for supporting entrepreneurs.
https://www.theigc.org/blogs/retail-sector-productivity-zambia

Diagnosing the barriers to retail sector productivity in Zambia New statistical tools identify whether firms in Zambia face marketing, logistics, or inventory management constraints, helping target productivity improvements.

We're hiring! 📢

We are looking for a Digital Communications Manager (Maternity Cover) to help shape how we share research, evidence and policy impact across Africa, South Asia and the Middle East.

If you're an experienced digital communicator with expertise in websites, social media, AI-enabled communications and content strategy, we'd love to hear from you.

📅 Apply by 1 September 2026 (23:59 UK time): https://www.theigc.org/about/careers

We're pleased to see Tewodros Makonnen Gebrewolde, 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗚𝗖 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗮, featured as an expert in CNN's Connecting Africa special on Ethiopia's economic transformation.

In the programme, Tewodros Gebrewolde provides context on 's remarkable economic progress over the past two decades, highlighting the country's young, growing population and rapid GDP growth.

The documentary goes on to explore Ethiopia's wider development story, such as major infrastructure projects🏗️, mining, aviation and tourism, examining how the sectors are shaping the country's economic future.

At the 𝗜𝗚𝗖, we're proud to support Ethiopia's policymakers with rigorous, evidence based research on the country's most pressing economic challenges, helping to inform policies that promote sustainable growth, job creation and improved livelihoods.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/03/world/video/ethiopia-connecting-africa-trade-intl-spc

Ethiopia’s economic transformation | CNN CNN explores how Ethiopia is using its resources and infrastructure to drive growth and trade.

Reliable electricity is essential for economic growth.
We were pleased to see our recent stakeholder workshop on electricity reliability featured in My Joy Online.

Organised by IGC Ghana in collaboration with -Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) - Ghana's Centre of Excellence in Public Utility Regulation, the event brought together policymakers, researchers and industry leaders to discuss solutions to improve grid reliability.

The coverage also highlights preliminary findings shared by IGC Ghana, showing the economic costs of unreliable electricity and the importance of evidence-based policy to strengthen Ghana's power sector.

Government moves to strengthen power grid - MyJoyOnline Dr Yussif Sulemana, Technical Advisor to the Minister of Energy and Green Transition, says Government is investing in power infrastructure to improve grid reliability.

What does it take for 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 in ways that genuinely improve public outcomes?

Yesterday, our " in low- and middle-income countries" conference brought together ministers, senior officials, researchers and practitioners. Surprisingly, the most important conversations weren't really about AI.

Here are some of the top insights:
📌 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀. H.E. Yves N. Iradukunda, MBA, PMP® (Rwanda), H.E. Salima Bah (Sierra Leone) and Alex Jones all stressed that AI should be driven by public-sector priorities, not technological novelty. Governments first need to identify the problem they're trying to solve and then determine whether AI is the right tool.

📌 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Across sessions, speakers highlighted that responsible AI depends on strong digital public infrastructure, high-quality data, institutional capability and leadership. Christian Meyer, H.E. Kusobile Stewart Kamwambi and Jonathan Leape all reinforced that lasting progress begins with investing in these fundamentals.

📌 𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. From public health to , speakers including Charlotte Watts, Han Sheng Chia, and Parth Ahya emphasised that AI's promise must be matched by rigorous evidence. As investment accelerates, governments and funders need robust evaluation, faster feedback loops and continuous learning to distinguish genuine impact from untested claims.

📌 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗔𝗜, 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆 𝗶𝘁. Jeremy Ng, David Satola, Friederike Schüür and Barbara Ubaldi highlighted that trust, accountability, data protection and human rights are not optional safeguards. They are essential to responsible AI adoption.

These conversations reinforced an important lesson for 𝗜𝗚𝗖: the future of AI in government will be shaped not only by technology but by the strength of public institutions, robust evidence and effective governance.

Thank you to our partners LSE Data Science Institute, The World Bank Group and the Human Rights Trust Fund, and to everyone who contributed to such thoughtful and practical discussions.

https://www.theigc.org/events/2026/governing-ai-low-and-middle-income-countries-lmics

Today we are co-hosting the 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝘄- 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲-𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 conference, and throughout the morning we’ve been discussing how successful AI adoption in government starts with public-sector problems, not technology.

In our opening panel, chaired by Shahrukh Wani, Head of Data and AI Policy Partnerships, IGC, government leaders shared practical lessons from building AI capability in Rwanda, Zambia and Sierra Leone.

🎤 H.E. Yves N. Iradukunda, MBA, PMP®, Minister of State at the Ministry of ICT & Innovation, Rwanda, highlighted the importance of laying the right foundations to tackle challenges in agriculture and healthcare, while exploring partnerships to address constraints around compute and privacy.

🎤 H.E. Kusobile Stewart Kamwambi, Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit Zambia (PDU), Government of Zambia, spoke about the need to strengthen digital infrastructure, invest in in-house capability, and build a culture where AI is seen as a tool for better policymaking rather than a shortcut.

🎤 H.E. Salima Bah, Minister of Communications, Technology and Innovation, Government of Sierra Leone, emphasised the value of readiness assessments, continuous skills development, and building trust so public servants see AI as enhancing, not replacing their work.

🎤 Christian Meyer, CEO, Tabiya, emphasised that governments should prioritise the "boring" but essential building blocks, including digital public infrastructure, interoperable data systems and human-centred research, to ensure AI can deliver meaningful public value.

🎤 Alex Jones, Interim Director, UK's Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI), reinforced the importance of starting with clearly defined public-sector problems and securing senior leadership support before deciding whether AI is the right solution.

💡 The discussion reinforced that governments should prioritise the "boring" but essential foundations - from digital public infrastructure and data governance to leadership buy-in – but also identify high-impact use cases that can build confidence and demonstrate value.

Thank you to our partners LSE Data Science Institute, The World Bank Group, and the Human Rights Trust Fund, and to all the speakers and participants contributing to a thoughtful discussion on governing AI in the public interest.


https://www.theigc.org/events/2026/governing-ai-low-and-middle-income-countries-lmics