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Digital Divide and Access to Basic Services in West Africa: Empirical Evidence on Socioeconomic Determinants

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  • Diakité, Nanamoudou
  • Diallo, Ibrahima
  • Sene, Babacar
  • Sene, Omar

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Diakité, Nanamoudou & Diallo, Ibrahima & Sene, Babacar & Sene, Omar, 2025. "Digital Divide and Access to Basic Services in West Africa: Empirical Evidence on Socioeconomic Determinants," EconStor Preprints 329654, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:esprep:329654
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hollard, Guillaume & Sene, Omar, 2020. "What drives the quality of schools in Africa? Disentangling social capital and ethnic divisions," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    2. Hollard, Guillaume & Sene, Omar, 2016. "Social capital and access to primary health care in developing countries: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 1-11.
    3. Hermann Ndoya & Simplice A. Asongu, 2022. "Digital divide, globalization and income inequality in sub-Saharan African countries: analysing cross-country heterogeneity," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 20(1), pages 1-19, October.
    4. Omar Sene, 2012. "Trust as a Proxy for the Ability to Produce Local Public Goods: Testing Different Measures," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 12041, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    5. Fu, Hongpeng & Guan, Jianxing & Wang, Runzi & Kong, Liangji & Dai, Qinqin, 2024. "How does digitalization affect the urban-rural disparity at different disparity levels: A Bayesian Quantile Regression approach," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa
    • H41 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Public Goods
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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