Speaker
Description
(PhD), M. P. I.
Benjamim Uwajumogu (State) College of Education, Ihitte-Uboma, Imo State, Nigeria
brightcee76@gmail.com
Track: Digital Pedagogy and Teaching Innovation
The persistent digital divide in Nigeria remains a critical impediment to inclusive development, equitable access, and socioeconomic transformation. This study investigates the determinants of digital inclusion in Nigeria over the period 1990–2024, with specific focus on ICT infrastructure development, digital literacy, and income inequality as key explanatory variables. Employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach, the study establishes both short-run dynamics and long-run equilibrium relationships among the variables. Diagnostic tests for serial correlation, heteroscedasticity, functional form misspecification, and parameter stability are conducted to validate the robustness of the estimated models. Findings reveal that ICT infrastructure development and digital literacy exert significant positive long-run effects on digital inclusion, while income inequality exerts a significant negative effect, confirming that distributional disparities remain a structural barrier to equitable digital access in Nigeria. The study concludes that bridging Nigeria's digital divide requires coordinated policy interventions targeting rural infrastructure expansion, digital skills development, and income redistribution mechanisms. These findings carry important implications for Nigeria's National Broadband Plan and broader Sustainable Development Goal 9 and 10 targets on innovation infrastructure and reduced inequalities.