African Growth and AI Network: University for Development Studies

The African Growth and AI Network (AGAIN) seeks to provide context-specific evidence on how artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting labour markets, productivity and inequality in Africa — critical issues as AI adoption accelerates. The AGAIN consortium, consisting of research institutions across Africa, will coordinate data collection and analysis with strong attention to vulnerable groups, including women, youth and people with disabilities, in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda, among other countries. The resulting evidence will inform inclusive and responsible AI policies aimed at improving job opportunities and economic resilience.

Led by Ghana’s University for Development Studies, this project’s goal is to address the gap in adequate evidence of AI’s impact on informal workers and micro/small enterprises. Focusing on Ghana and Kenya, it will design and validate innovative measurement tools to assess AI exposure and adoption among these groups, tailored specifically to informal economy contexts. These tools will be used to track changes in income, productivity and employment, providing evidence on how AI is affecting livelihoods, inequality and economic resilience over time.

Key outcomes include a unique longitudinal dataset of how AI is transforming informal employment and firms in Ghana and Kenya, including differential impacts on marginalized groups. The project will create new measurement tools to assess AI exposure, income, productivity and skills shifts in informal economy contexts. The evidence generated will translate into actionable, context-responsive recommendations to shape inclusive labour, skills development, social protection and AI governance policies across Africa.

AGAIN is part of Artificial Intelligence for Development (AI4D), a partnership between IDRC and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It is aimed at strengthening policy, innovation and leadership to advance responsible and inclusive AI development in Africa. AI4D’s vision is to foster an inclusive, responsible AI ecosystem that improves quality of life for all across the continent and beyond.