The World Bank’s recent brief, “Digital transformation drives development in Africa,” reveals that enhanced internet access over three years contributed to a 7% decline in extreme poverty in Nigeria and Tanzania.
Additionally, it highlights an 8% rise in both labor force participation and wage employment due to this increased connectivity.
The World Bank said, “In 2023, a World Bank flagship report found that in Nigeria and Tanzania, extreme poverty declined by about seven per cent after three or more years of exposure to internet coverage, while labour force participation and wage employment increased by up to eight per cent.”
In the brief, World Bank Chief Economist for Africa, Andrew Dabalen, was quoted as saying, “The minimal usage of mobile internet is a lost opportunity for inclusive growth in Africa. Closing the uptake gap would increase the continent’s potential to create jobs for its growing population and boost economic recovery in a highly digitalised world.”
Over the last five years (2016-2021), sub-Saharan Africa witnessed a remarkable 115% surge in internet users, as emphasized in the brief. This transformation has played a crucial role in stimulating economic growth, promoting innovation, and generating employment opportunities.
The brief adds, “The region’s digital infrastructure coverage, access, and quality still lag other regions. At the end of 2021, while 84 per cent of people in SSA lived in areas where 3G service was available, and 63 per cent had access to 4G mobile coverage, only 22 per cent were using mobile internet services.
“The gap between coverage and usage is similarly large for broadband, with 61 per cent of people in sub-Saharan Africa living within the broadband range but not using it.”
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