The World Bank has selected government institutions from 10 countries, including Nigeria, to participate in its upcoming hands-on GovTech Bootcamp in South Korea, an initiative aimed at helping governments move beyond digital transformation strategies to the practical implementation and scaling of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions in public administration.
Nigeria will be represented by the Cross River State Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, alongside selected government institutions from Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Sierra Leone and Uzbekistan.
The programme is designed to address a growing challenge among governments worldwide, many of which have developed digital government strategies, legal frameworks and institutional structures but continue to face difficulties in deploying and scaling AI technologies across public institutions.
According to the programme overview, the bootcamp will provide participating government institutions with practical learning opportunities, peer exchanges and direct engagement with organisations that have successfully implemented AI solutions at scale.
Selected Countries and Participating Institutions
The 10 selected government institutions and their respective countries are:
Argentina: General Directorate of Procurement and Contracting, Government of the City of Buenos Aires.
Brazil: Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services.
Cambodia: Techo Startup Center, Ministry of Economy and Finance.
India: Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA), Planning Department, Government of Maharashtra.
Indonesia: Directorate General of Fiscal Balance, Ministry of Finance.
Kenya: National Treasury, State Department for Public Investments and Assets Management.
Nigeria: Cross River State Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
Pakistan: Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.
Sierra Leone: Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation.
Uzbekistan: Customs Committee under the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Nigeria’s inclusion, through the Cross River State Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, places the state among the selected government institutions expected to benefit from international knowledge exchange and practical exposure to advanced AI applications in public administration.
Why South Korea?
South Korea was selected as the host country because of its global leadership in deploying AI across public sector operations.
The country has implemented AI-powered systems in critical government functions, including public financial management, tax administration, citizen services and social welfare.
Participants will engage directly with Korean public and private sector institutions responsible for designing, developing and operating these systems.
The engagements will provide firsthand knowledge of AI implementation, institutional coordination, governance, data management, procurement processes and strategies for scaling AI solutions across government institutions.
Where necessary, participants will also interact with technology providers to explore practical approaches to deploying AI-powered systems.
Three-Phase Programme
The GovTech Bootcamp will be delivered in three phases: Call for Proposals
Government institutions were invited to submit applications outlining their proposed AI initiatives, implementation challenges and areas where technical support was required.
Following the selection process, 10 government institutions from different countries were chosen to participate.
Seoul Bootcamp (December 7–11, 2026). The five-day programme will begin with visits to Korean public and private sector institutions, providing participants with opportunities to learn from practitioners responsible for implementing AI solutions in government.
The second phase will feature intensive, hands-on workshops involving Korean AI practitioners and World Bank experts.
Participants will undertake practical coding exercises and develop technically grounded implementation roadmaps tailored to their proposed AI initiatives.
The workshops will focus on addressing key challenges relating to algorithms, data and infrastructure while identifying critical dependencies and potential contingencies necessary for successful implementation.
3. Follow-Up Support
Following the Seoul bootcamp, participating teams may receive additional technical support and feedback to help advance their proposed AI initiatives and translate their implementation roadmaps into practical outcomes.
The initiative is expected to strengthen the capacity of participating governments to adopt AI-driven solutions, improve public service delivery and accelerate digital transformation across government institutions.
For Cross River State, participation offers an opportunity to gain international exposure to practical AI applications and explore innovative approaches that could support technology-driven governance and improved public service delivery.
Find link to the story on World Bank site
https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/govtech/govtech-bootcamp-for-ai-in-governance-and-public-administration