BETWEEN 2012 and 2025, Africa’s digital economy surged by more than 500 per cent, reaching an estimated $180bn, or 5.2 per cent of the continent’s GDP, according to the latest figures. By comparison, the global digital economy makes up about 15 per cent of GDP – some $16 trillion – and is forecast to rise to 17 per cent by 2028.
This rapid growth highlights the scale of Africa’s digital transformation. Yet experts warn that without stronger investment in digital literacy, the benefits of this boom will not be evenly shared.
UNESCO, marking International Literacy Day on September 8 under the theme Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era, stressed that digital skills are now as vital as reading and writing. ‘Things are becoming more digital in today’s age, creating both negative and positive impacts,’ the organisation said.
Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire take the lead
Despite progress, West Africa continues to face a sharp digital literacy divide. Only two of the 15 ECOWAS member states – Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire – have rolled out comprehensive, state-led digital literacy programmes. Elsewhere, efforts remain fragmented, often driven by NGOs with limited reach.
Nigeria has taken bold steps with its Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) strategy. The initiative aims to achieve 70 per cent digital literacy by 2027 and 95 per cent by 2030. Following a pilot that trained more than 152,000 people, the programme was expanded nationwide in May 2025 across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Côte d’Ivoire has also made steady progress through its Maison du Digital programme, focused on reducing gender gaps in technology. Since 2016, more than 7,000 women have been trained across 23 centres, with the latest centre opening in Issia in January 2025.
Infrastructure investments fuel growth
Both Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire have paired literacy programmes with massive infrastructure investments. Nigeria has expanded its fibre optic network to 35,000km, thanks in part to private sector involvement, while Côte d’Ivoire has deployed more than 30,000km.
These investments go beyond connectivity. They are fuelling economic growth: Côte d’Ivoire has recorded average annual GDP growth of around seven per cent over the past decade, while Nigeria was projected by the World Bank to grow by 3.4 per cent in 2024.
An ECOWAS official told Africa Briefing that such state-backed strategies were crucial. ‘Without state-backed digital literacy programmes, the promise of Africa’s digital economy may remain unevenly shared. Without coordinated strategies, most ECOWAS countries risk falling behind in the global digital economy, leaving citizens more vulnerable to disinformation, which has already destabilised parts of the region.’
Risks of falling behind
The dangers of weak digital literacy have already been exposed. During Niger’s 2023 coup, disinformation spread rapidly online, fuelling political instability. UNESCO has warned that ‘passive consumption, or consuming information without comprehension or absorption, is troublesome’ and that citizens must learn to engage with digital tools critically.
ECOWAS leaders say lessons from Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire must be replicated region-wide. For the digital economy to continue expanding, citizens will need not only access to connectivity but also the skills to navigate it responsibly.
