The Impacts of Socio-Economic and Cultural Factors on the Network Readiness of Nations: A Focus on the Regions of Africa

The Network Readiness Index (NRI) was developed to measure the propensity for countries (and regions) to exploit information and communications technology (ICT) for development and growth. Much has been written about the influences of economic and non-economic factors on ICT diffusion in developed societies. Studies examining the impact of relevant factors on Africa’s regions’ capabilities to exploit ICT for development are scarce. Moreover, where such studies exist, it is not uncommon for the African continent to be taken as a monolith. This paper argues that the NRI scores for countries across the geographical regions of Africa vary by socio-economic and cultural factors. Hypotheses were developed to test this assertion. The data analysis showed that there are differences across Africa’s regions with respect to the NRI. The data also found relationships between some socio-economic factors, cross-cultural dimensions, and the NRI. The study’s implications for research and policy making are succinctly discussed.