Internet access reduced poverty in Nigeria, Tanzania by 7% – W’Bank
admin
The World Bank estimates that improved access to Internet coverage over three years led to a seven per cent reduction in extreme poverty in Nigeria and Tanzania.
The bank disclosed this in a new brief titled, “Digital transformation drives development in Africa.”
It said Internet access also led to an increase of eight per cent in labour force participation and wage employment.
The bank said, “In 2023, a World Bank flagship report found that in Nigeria and Tanzania, extreme poverty declined by about 7 per cent after three or more years of exposure to internet coverage, while labour force participation and wage employment increased by up to eight per cent.”
The brief further highlighted that over the past five years (2016 – 2021), Sub-Saharan Africa experienced an extraordinary 115 per cent increase in Internet users, a change that has been instrumental in spurring economic growth, fostering innovation, and creating job opportunities.
With over five million active Internet subscriptions in Nigeria, there is still the need for wider Internet coverage to boost inclusive economic growth.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, recently noted that the cost of data in Nigeria was still one of the cheapest in the world but lamented that many operators are not willing to lay fibre in many parts of the countries outside the major cities because it would be unprofitable.
