The interaction between ICT penetration and sustainable development: empirical evidence from African countries

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have made remarkable progress in recent years, impacting nearly every field of society. In parallel, the effects of ICT progress on achieving sustainable development goals, crucial for the common future of the world, have been widely discussed. This study investigates the connection between critical ICT metrics—such as internet usage, mobile cellular, and fixed broadband subscriptions—and sustainable development in African countries over the 2000–2020 period using cointegration and causality tests. The cointegration coefficients indicate that mobile phone and broadband subscriptions significantly and positively affect sustainable development in African countries. Additionally, univariate causality tests reveal a unidirectional causality from mobile subscriptions to sustainable development, from sustainable development to fixed broadband subscriptions, and a two-way interplay between internet usage and sustainable development. Consequently, ICT metrics of mobile phone and fixed broadband subscriptions, and internet usage are found to be significant drivers of sustainable development in both the short and long term in African countries. Therefore, policies encouraging individuals and firms to use ICT tools to foster sustainable development will be beneficial for progressing toward sustainable development goals.