Digital Divide and Uptake of Public E-Service in Nigeria: A Narrative Review

Abstract

The motivation for this study is to identify demand-side factors militating against the uptake of public e-services due to the digital divide. This study is primarily concerned with demand-side factors that influence people's proclivity to utilize e-services. The paper depended on a narrative examination of relevant literature on the issues at stake and inferences drawn from it. Demand side factors found militating against the uptake of public e-services in Nigeria due digital divide are categorized into three, namely, individual factors (age, income, etc); social factors (trust, language, etc) and infrastructural-related factors (limited access to broadband, cost digital infrastructure). The study recommends inter alia capacity building and orientation programmes on the importance and relevance of digital literacy in order to increase participation to bridge the digital divide, as well as the development of online content and other features in Nigerian languages that are not already available on the Internet.