Nigeria’s $18.3bn digital economy faces inclusion crisis – Remita

Nigeria’s digital economy faces an inclusion crisis, with significant segments of the population excluded from the benefits of digital transformation, according to Remita.

Nigeria’s $18.3 billion digital economy faces an inclusion crisis, with significant segments of the population excluded from the benefits of digital transformation, according to Remita. The company said that while the digital economy has grown rapidly, many Nigerians, particularly those in rural areas and the informal sector, have been left behind.

The inclusion crisis reflects broader challenges in Nigeria’s digital transformation. While the country has made significant progress in areas such as fintech and mobile payments, the benefits have not been evenly distributed. Remita’s warning is a call to action for the government and private sector to address the digital divide.

This echoes the 2010s digital divide debates, which also highlighted the exclusion of rural and informal sector populations. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a recognition that digital transformation must be inclusive.

The winners: the tech companies that are driving digital transformation; and the urban populations that are benefiting from it. The losers: the rural and informal sector populations, who are being left behind; and the Nigerian government, which must address the digital divide.

Bottom Line: Nigeria’s digital economy is worth $18.3 billion. But many Nigerians are being left behind. The question is whether the government can make digital transformation inclusive.