Digital Literacy, Inclusivity and Sustainable Development in Africa

Sustainable development can only be achieved when no one is left behind. An enduring lesson from the COVID-19 crisis is how important the availability of digital infrastructure and skills for individuals and communities is for teaching, learning, employability or just being able to participate fully in society. Digital literacy has become critical for millions all over the world and the need has been keenly felt in Africa, where so many have had to quickly adapt and use online platforms for various purposes. The African library sector has been a key advocate for digital literacy across the continent. But what has been achieved and how? How has digital literacy assisted user communities? What remains to be done?

This important book features contributions from libraries across Africa outlining how they have approached the shift towards a better and more widespread digital literacy. Coverage includes:

• how in Kenya, in line with the country’s national vision, libraries have been teaching their user communities, including deaf children, to ably operate in online spaces
• the role of digital literacy in increasing employability in Tunisia
• the efforts of the Ghana Library Authority, the National Library of Nigeria and the City of Johannesburg Library, South Africa in driving digital literacy through eLearning initiatives and other digital services
• insights into the level of digital skills of students in Uganda and how tertiary institutions in Botswana have been moving to teaching and learning on digital platforms.

This book seeks to explain how the global pandemic has exacerbated the already existing digital gap in Africa. It shows why laying emphasis on digital literacy, where there is inadequate digital infrastructure in the continent, may constitute a great setback in the goal that ‘no one is left behind’ in the drive for all to be digitally literate and to fully participate in the 21st century society.