Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/329654 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Publisher: 
ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, Kiel, Hamburg
Abstract: 
The rapid digitalization of sub-Saharan Africa has generated considerable hope for territorial development. Yet behind the dominant discourse of technological leapfrogging lies a troubling reality: the digital divide may amplify existing inequalities rather than reduce them. This study examines this crucial question through analysis of six West African countries using Afrobarometer Round 9 data. We construct a multidimensional digital divide index integrating equipment access, internet usage, and information isolation, then quantify its association with three essential services: drinking water, health, and education. Our results reveal three major findings that challenge current policies. First, formal education constitutes the most powerful determinant of digital inclusion, well ahead of wealth or geographic location. Second, digital divide is strongly associated with deficits in access to essential services, and this association persists even after rigorous control for territorial heterogeneity via district fixed effects models. Third, contrary to expectations, the impact of digital exclusion does not vary significantly between rural and urban areas, suggesting that marginalization transcends simple geographic dichotomy.
Subjects: 
digital divide
basic services
social capital
West Africa
territorial development
JEL: 
O33
O55
H41
I38
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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