The impact of mobile broadband internet on literacy: Evidence from Nigeria

Over the past few decades, there has been a massive expansion of the internet across both developed and developing economies. Despite a growing body of research exploring its effect on firm performance, much less is known about its impact on educational outcomes. This paper examines the impact of 3G mobile broadband coverage on basic literacy among Nigerian children aged 5-12 years, as measured by a binary indicator of the ability to read and write. The analysis draws on a geographically matched mobile network coverage map and three waves of panel data from the Nigerian General Household Survey, conducted in 2010–11, 2012–13, and 2015–16. Exploiting the quasi-experimental variation generated by the staggered rollout of 3G infrastructure, this study employs the Callaway and Sant’Anna (2021) difference-in-differences estimator, which accounts for treatment effect heterogeneity across time and units. We found a robust and statistically significant positive association between mobile broadband coverage and literacy attainment among primary-school-aged children. The effects are particularly pronounced among boys, children from economically disadvantaged households, and those who were younger and enrolled in school at baseline. Our findings provide suggestive evidence that the impacts operate directly through enhanced parental aspirations and indirectly through an increase in household income. Overall, this study highlights the essential role of digital technologies in promoting educational equity.

Keywords: Literacy, mobile broadband, Nigeria