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Paper short abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa navigates an increasingly multipolar development landscape through the rapid expansion of digital infrastructure, which creates a critical arena where governance norms, state capacity, and development models are being redefined.

Paper long abstract

This study examines how digitalization influences governance outcomes and policy performance in African countries, and whether the diffusion of ICT contributes to more autonomous, effective, and accountable governance structures.

Using secondary data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Governance Indicators (WGI), and the World Bank Country Policy and Institutional Assessment (CPIA), the study constructs a panel dataset for Sub-Saharan Africa (2002-2023). Digitalisation is captured through indicators such as internet penetration, mobile broadband subscriptions, and ICT access indices. Governance outcomes are measured through regulatory quality and control of corruption. Additionally, the study will present cases illustrating how the use of social media platforms, among others, is transforming the landscape of governance, accountability, and development in Africa.

The study asks: Does digitalisation strengthen governance and state capability, or does it generate new vulnerabilities and dependencies influenced by South–South cooperation? Employing a fixed-effects panel model, the paper assesses whether higher digital connectivity is associated with improvements in regulatory performance, anti-corruption capacity, and overall policy effectiveness. Explaining how the use of social media platforms is reshaping governance and accountability in many African countries.

By connecting digital transformation to contemporary debates on multipolarity and the reconfiguration of aid relationships, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how African states negotiate agency, sovereignty, and governance reform in an era of shifting geopolitical alignments. It highlights the opportunities and tensions inherent in reimagining development governance through a digital lens, extending beyond traditional aid frameworks.