In an age where information travels in seconds and opportunities are increasingly tethered to digital access, it is alarming that billions of people remain excluded from the digital world. The promise of technology is immense. It has the power to educate, empower and equalise. However, without intentional effort to include those at the margins, technology also has the potential to deepen inequality. As digital services become the default for everything from education to finance, healthcare to governance, exclusion is no longer just a disadvantage. It is a denial of fundamental rights.
Corporate social responsibility has never been more important than it is now. The role of companies, particularly in the technology sector, is not only to innovate but to ensure that their innovation is equitable. In a country like Nigeria where digital exclusion is tied not only to poverty but to poor infrastructure, gender inequality and regional imbalances, the call for responsible corporate action is urgent. Companies must move from intention to implementation. They must begin to ask hard questions about who gets left behind and what role they play in correcting it.
As of 2023, Nigeria has over 220 million people yet only about 87 million of them have access to the internet. This means that over 130 million people remain disconnected in one of the most populous countries in Africa. According to the Nigerian Communications Commission, broadband penetration stood at just 45.57 percent in early 2024. The rural and underserved areas bear the brunt of this gap;. CChildren in remote villages struggle to complete online assignments,.and eEntrepreneurs are unable to scale their businesses because they cannot access digital payment systems. These are not isolated problems;. tThey are national issues with long-term economic and social consequences.
The World Bank has repeatedly emphasised that digital technologies can boost growth and reduce poverty, but only if they are accessible to all. In Nigeria, where over 63 percent of the population lives in poverty according to the National Bureau of Statistics, digital exclusion compounds existing vulnerability. Moreover, gender plays a critical role with women and girls often facing even greater barriers to accessing digital tools and opportunities. A study by the GSMA in 2022 revealed that Nigerian women are 29 percent less likely than men to use mobile internet. The digital gender gap is not just a statistic;. Itit is a barrier to empowerment, leadership and independence.
This is where tech companies must take a stand. Digital inclusion must become central to corporate social responsibility strategies; not. It cannot be an afterthought or a side project, but a coret. It must be a commitment.
If a technology company sets up shop in Lagos but fails to support digital literacy programmes in northern Nigeria, it is not creating shared value. If a fintech firm scales nationally but does not ensure that rural women have access to their services, it is failing its most basic ethical responsibility. CSR should not be defined by public relations. iIt should be defined by reach. It should be defined by resilience. And ultimately, it should be defined by results.
Digital literacy is another crucial aspect. The United Nations defines digital literacy as the ability to access, manage, understand, integrate, communicate, evaluate and create information safely and appropriately through digital technologies. In Nigeria, the lack of such literacy is a silent barrier to progress. Even when devices are available and internet access exists, many cannot use them effectively. According to the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, only 20 percent of the adult population possesses adequate digital skills. This limits participation in the modern economy, excludes citizens from key services and leaves many vulnerable to exploitation online.
The path forward must be multi-layered. First, infrastructure development is critical. Internet access cannot improve if rural areas are still without electricity. Tech companies must partner with energy providers to deploy solar-powered digital hubs in off-grid communities. Second, affordability must be addressed. Data in Nigeria remains among the most expensive in the world relative to income. Subsidies, zero-rated educational websites and flexible access plans can help ease this burden. Third, content must be localised. Programmes must be delivered in local languages. Platforms must be accessible to people with disabilities. Tools must reflect cultural contexts.
Finally, companies must listen. They must sit with communities before designing solutions. They must engage young people as co-creators. They must learn from elders, from women, from the poor, from the forgotten. Inclusion cannot be imposed. It must be nurtured.
Nigeria is a nation of immense creativity and resilience. Its youth population is vibrant, with over 70 percent under the age of 30. This is a generation ready to code, to innovate, to lead. But only if given the chance. Only if the door is opened. Tech companies have the resources and influence to unlock this potential. The question is not whether they can. It is whether they will.
The future is digital. But it must also be human. It must carry the hopes of the street vendor in Onitsha, the student in Kaduna, the mother in Abeokuta, the girl in Bauchi, the boy in Calabar. To leave them out is to betray the promise of progress.
It is time for technology companies to step up. Not just with press releases and polished promises but with action. It is time to build a digital world that truly belongs to everyone. This is where organisations like CSR-in-Action come in. They provide a meaningful blueprint for what responsible corporate behaviour can look like. Founded on the vision of influencing positive change through sustainability, ethics and innovation, CSR-in-Action engages deeply with communities, policy makers and business leaders to ensure that impact is measurable and transformative.
CSR-in-Action’s efforts in Nigeria have ranged from capacity building to sustainability reporting frameworks, including the ground-breaking Corporate Sustainable Investor Report which encourages businesses to adopt inclusive and ethical practices. Through initiatives like the Community Engagement Standards and C-PET, the Civil Society Organisations’ Professionalism and Effectiveness Therapy, CSR-in-Action has shown that inclusion must be practical. It must reflect lived realities. Their belief that no voice is too small and no community too remote is a model for technology companies seeking to deepen their CSR footprint.
References
1. Nigerian Communications Commission. (2024). Industry Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.ncc.gov.ng
2. National Bureau of Statistics. (2022). Multidimensional Poverty Index.
3. GSMA. (2022). Mobile Gender Gap Report: Sub-Saharan Africa.
4. World Bank. (2021). Digital Economy for Africa Initiative.
5. CSR-in-Action. (2023). Corporate Sustainable Investor Report. Retrieved from https://www.csr-in-action.org
6. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). (2021). Digital Literacy Global Framework.
7. Nigerian Economic Summit Group. (2023). Digital Economy Policy Brief.
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