High-Speed Internet and Energy for All: Who Are the 'All,' and How Do We Reach Them?

As the 2030 deadline for Sustainable Development Goals 7 and 9 (SDG 7 & 9) approaches, achieving universal access to modern energy and digital infrastructure remains a critical challenge, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2021, 59.5% of Nigerian households lacked electricity, with only 45% having internet access. Similarly, 54.2% of Ethiopian households had no electricity, and just 17% had internet access. While infrastructure deficits are well-documented, the drivers of these disparities—and the link between high-speed internet access (2G, 3G, 4G) and energy poverty (lack of clean, reliable, and affordable energy)—remain poorly understood by researchers, policy makers, and the public. Does increased internet access raise household energy demand, worsening affordability issues? Or can digital connectivity help alleviate energy poverty by enabling employment, education, financial inclusion, and awareness of energy-efficient technologies? Using Ethiopia and Nigeria as case studies, this research will identify regions with the most severe access gaps and assess whether digital connectivity can serve as a pathway to alleviating energy poverty. We will develop a framework to analyse how, when, and why high-speed internet influences energy poverty, focusing on its effects on household energy demand, income generation, and access to information. We will also examine how these dynamics vary across demographic factors such as gender, income, ethnicity, and migration status.