Digital Divide as a Clog in the Wheel of Digital Economy: What Options for Nigeria?

Abstract

The rise of the digital economy, fuelled by technological innovations and digitalisation, has revolutionised every aspect of society and the economy. Unfortunately, the digital divide in Nigeria is hindering many citizens from participating in this new economy due to a lack of access to digital resources. To address this issue, this paper employs the doctrinal research methodology to provide a comprehensive overview of the digital economy. The paper evaluates the extent of the country's digital divide and identifies the factors contributing to its widening. It analyses the current legal and policy frameworks to bridge this gap. Ultimately, the paper recommends greater investment in telecommunication and electrical infrastructure, improving data availability and affordability, connection quality, and allocating more resources to digital education to encourage the development of locally relevant content and applications in languages. It concludes that bridging that divide will require targeted regulatory and policy initiatives recommended herein.