In spite of the surge in the number of internet users in Nigeria, Africa and across the world, about 3.9 billion people around the work still do not have access to the internet, with the digital gap growing between developed and developing countries, according to a report from the UN Broadband Commission.
The report which was released ahead of the UN General Assembly taking place in New York this month noted that 48 percent of the global population is now online, with broadband technologies today driving substantial transformation in many development-related sectors including health, education, financial inclusion and food security, as well pushing goals for education, gender equality and infrastructure.
The report predicted that internet penetration in the developing world will reach 41.3 percent by the end of this year while in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), penetration will only get to 17.5 percent.
The report also highlighted a growing gender disparity gap with more men still using the internet worldwide, though women are outnumbering men in the Americas. Still, UN said disparities are growing elsewhere in developing countries, especially in Africa.
