Digital Inclusion and Implications on Poverty and Unemployment: Policy Recommendations

Soaring unemployment rates and poverty have become perennial in African countries with most governments struggling to find lasting solutions to these challenges. This was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic which saw some businesses fold during this period and failing to recover post-COVID-19. This resulted in some employees losing their jobs leading to further increased unemployment rates and poverty. However, the pandemic also accelerated the use of digital technologies in the African economy further widening the digital divide which had been on the decline prior to the pandemic. This study sought to bring to the fore the undesirable effect of digital divide on promoting unemployment and poverty through failure to access digital technologies that enable new ways of doing business and creating employment opportunities. The study articulates benefits of digital inclusion in African countries and folds with policy recommendations surrounding digital exclusion, unemployment, and poverty issues.