| Several studies have shown that information and communications technology (ICT) is important in economic and business development. The advent and rapid development of ICT have not helped in bridging the technological gap between developing countries and advanced countries. In fact, there is an Internet access gap between developed and developing countries of the world. This phenomenon is owing to various reasons such as the level of education of the individuals, the condition of the required infrastructure, and other social, political, cultural, and economic reasons. This creates the need to better explain, and increase user acceptance of, or in this instance participation in, the creation or development of information and communications technology (ICT), and associated e-commerce activities in the digitally disadvantaged regions of sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria. In other to fulfill this need, it is important that we understand the phenomenon of digital divide and its effects on electronic commerce. The aim of this qualitative research is to find an effective method to understand this phenomenon. This research is therefore conducted to provide a better grasp of how Nigeria participates in the digital age, considering the influence of the local environmental factors, while moving away from technological acceptance or the top-down diffusion mentality, to a state of Indigenous Participation in Technology (IPT). |
