… ARE YOUNG PEOPLE BEING LEFT BEHIND?

Zambia has been ranked 20th among 56 Commonwealth countries in a new study examining how prepared young people are to benefit from artificial intelligence, raising questions about the country’s digital skills, education system and readiness for an economy increasingly shaped by AI.

The 2026 Commonwealth Youth AI Readiness Index, published by the Ayre Think Tank, gives Zambia a score of 48.8 out of 100, placing it below the study’s readiness benchmark of 53 points.

The findings suggest that while artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities across the world, Zambia still faces challenges in building the conditions that would allow its young people to participate meaningfully in the emerging AI economy.

The index examines the circumstances facing young people aged 15 to 29 across all 56 Commonwealth countries, drawing on 1,128 research sources.

For Zambia, the message is particularly important: the question is no longer simply whether young people can access digital technology, but whether they have the skills, education and opportunities to use it productively.

Zambia behind South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana

The rankings place Zambia behind several African Commonwealth countries.

South Africa ranks 13th with 56.8 points, Nigeria is 15th with 54.5, Ghana comes 17th with 51.2, while Zambia is 20th with 48.8.

Kenya, however, is just behind Zambia at 22nd position, scoring 48.7.

The comparison puts Zambia in the middle of the Commonwealth rankings, but outside the group of 15 countries that meet the index’s readiness benchmark.

Only 15 of the 56 Commonwealth countries scored 53 points or higher, while 41 fell below that threshold.

At the top of the ranking is Singapore with 77.6 points, followed by Malta at 75.0 and Australia at 71.0.

The United Kingdom ranks fourth with 70.8, while Canada is fifth with 70.2.

What does the ranking mean for Zambia?

The index is not simply a measure of how many young people own smartphones or have access to the internet.

It examines broader conditions that determine whether young people can benefit from artificial intelligence, including access to technology, digital and AI capabilities, education and training, employment opportunities, rights, safety and participation.

This distinction matters for Zambia.

Access to a smartphone or an internet connection does not automatically translate into the ability to use AI tools for learning, research, innovation, business creation or employment.

Young people need practical training, reliable connectivity, relevant educational programmes and opportunities to apply what they learn.

For a country with a growing youth population and continuing pressure to create employment, the ability to participate in the digital economy could become an increasingly important factor in future economic development.

The findings therefore raise questions about how prepared Zambia’s schools, colleges, universities and training institutions are to equip students with practical AI skills.

Britain offers a lesson despite its high ranking

One of the more interesting findings in the study concerns the United Kingdom.

Despite ranking fourth overall, Britain recorded just 4.7 out of 10 for purposeful AI use and creation, the lowest score among the Commonwealth’s ten highest-ranked countries.

The study reports that only 31.5 per cent of young respondents in the UK said they used AI for their studies.

It also found that just 17.4 per cent of surveyed 15-year-olds said their school lessons often involved assessing information produced by AI chatbots.

This illustrates that even countries with advanced technological infrastructure face challenges in translating access into practical AI capabilities.

The report identifies education and training as an area requiring improvement in Britain, which scored 5.5 out of 10 compared with Singapore’s 7.8.

The lesson for Zambia is that investment in connectivity and technology must be accompanied by education that teaches young people how to use, question and create with AI.

The economic opportunity Zambia cannot ignore

The potential economic impact of artificial intelligence is one of the major themes of the research.

For the United Kingdom, researchers estimate that AI could increase the level of GDP by approximately £94.629 billion after ten years, with projections ranging from £48.1 billion under a conservative scenario to £141.2 billion under a more optimistic one.

These are modelled scenarios rather than guaranteed economic gains.

The study does not provide a comparable GDP estimate for Zambia in the press release, but its findings highlight the importance of preparing young people to participate in emerging technology-driven industries.

AI is increasingly relevant to sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, financial services, media, manufacturing and business administration.

For Zambia, the opportunity lies not only in adopting AI products developed elsewhere, but also in developing local skills, applications and solutions that respond to the country’s own economic and social needs.

What needs to change?

The Ayre Think Tank identifies five priorities for governments and development partners.

These include affordable and reliable access to technology, education that develops practical skills, stronger pathways from training into employment and entrepreneurship, AI tools suited to local languages and needs, and safeguards that allow young people to question automated decisions.

Professor C. Justin Robinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of the University of the West Indies, Five Islands Campus, said young people should be equipped to do more than consume AI products developed elsewhere.

He argued that they should have the ability to question these tools, improve them and develop alternatives suited to their own needs.

That challenge is particularly relevant to Zambia, where universities, colleges, schools and the private sector have an opportunity to integrate practical AI learning into education and professional training.

The bigger question for Zambia

Zambia’s 20th-place position should not be treated as a final verdict on the country’s technological future. It is a snapshot of the conditions assessed by the index and an indication of areas requiring attention.

But it does raise an important question for policymakers, educators and businesses: are young Zambians being equipped to compete in an economy where AI is becoming part of everyday work and production?

As the technology continues to reshape industries, the countries that invest in practical skills, education and innovation will be better positioned to enable their young people to participate in the opportunities ahead.

For Zambian Eye, the issue goes beyond a position on a Commonwealth league table. It is about whether Zambia can turn its young population into an active participant in the AI economy rather than simply a consumer of technologies developed elsewhere.

The ranking provides a warning, but also an opportunity to rethink how the country prepares its next generation.