Abstract
Internet usage and the sporadic rise in the level of innovations have been major drivers of human progress in the last decades. These leaps in human intelligence have affected almost every area of human endeavour including education, health, finance, commerce, political engagement, and so on. With the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has adopted some strategies in order to ensure that ECOWAS member countries are not left behind. Thus, this study examines the influence of internet usage and innovation on human development in 15 ECOWAS countries. Using the fixed and random effects panel data techniques, the study finds that Internet usage, innovation and their interaction have significant and positive relationship with human development. Furthermore, the study unbundles the ECOWAS countries and finds that countries like Cape Verde had positive significant coefficient for the three cases examined, the results for some ECOWAS members were not significant, while few had significant negative results, which did not have influence on the overall result. Recommendations on how to increase innovation for human development in ECOWAS countries are highlighted in the study.
Highlights
1 Introduction This study is set out to examine the influence of internet usage and innovation in enhancing human development in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries
5.2 Results from econometric estimation The chosen econometric technique of analysis is the fixed effects (FEM) and random effects (REM) panel data analysis for which the Hausman test is usually performed after the FEM and REM to Internet usage per 100 persons
The value of the statistically significant coefficient result is positive. This shows that the Internet usage, innovation and technical knowledge in ECOWAS have a positive impact on human development
Summary
This study is set out to examine the influence of internet usage and innovation in enhancing human development in Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries. It tests the consistency of literature with the experience of ECOWAS countries, investigating the nature of the relationship between Internet adoption, innovation and human development. With the introduction of the Internet, geographical boundaries were broken, the interaction between people became easier and faster, trade became universal, and digital and Internet economies began to emerge These spin-offs affected most areas of human endeavour. Many have argued that the pace of globalisation presently being witnessed would have been
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