Assessing Internet development in Benin

Over the last years, the prodigious progress made by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has changed ways of life, knowledge acquisition and production. These technological advances have raised a lot of hope, particularly in developing countries who believe they can, thanks to these tools, accelerate their economic development. 

Observation of the Internet in Benin reveals a multiplicity of experiences based on the established legal framework, involving both public and private actors and civil society. Like other Information and Communication Technologies, the Internet is understood today through an approach increasingly thought in relation to humans, in the sense that attention is focused more on its practical utility and even better on the optimization of its conditions of use, its development and its appropriation. This approach, which goes beyond simple functionalism, therefore implies giving an important place to a clear and concrete understanding of the environment and national Internet policies, and carrying out an evaluation of the digital ecosystem and policies public services, as well as an analysis of gaps and achievements. 

UNESCO, through the indicators of Internet universality, postulates that the Internet must be based on human rights, must be open, accessible to all and fueled by multi-stakeholder participation. These guidelines served as the basis for this report on the universality of the Internet in Benin. The following summary summarizes most of the information relating to the different categories: Law, Openness, Accessibility, Multi-party participation, cross-cutting indicators.

The report on the universality of the Internet in Benin revealed significant progress, but also areas of weakness that need to be improved. They are linked to the legal and institutional framework, the lack of skills, the lack and quality of infrastructure particularly in rural areas, the management of electronic waste, etc. Based on this observation, the report on Internet universality indicators in Benin made 18 key recommendations to the government, 16 to civil society and 14 to the private sector.