The internet has been identified as a tool to overcome poverty; by improving communication, facilitating innovation, and driving economic growth. In emerging economies, where poverty rates are high, most of the research on the digital divide focuses on barriers to adoption. However, the welfare effect of technology is not only based on adoption but also the type of use. In this presentation, Erezi Ogbo will discuss two chapters from her dissertation. Her work examined the second (differences in Internet use patterns) and third (differences in outcomes from use) levels of the digital divide in Nigeria. In “The Effect of Pricing Policies on the Second-Level Digital Divide in a Developing Country: Evidence from Nigeria,” she examined the impact of the reduction in the cost of mobile broadband on Internet use, and in “When Being Connected is not Enough: An Analysis of the Second and Third Levels of the Digital Divide in a Developing Country,” she investigated differences in Internet use patterns, outcomes, and the relationship between use patterns and outcomes. She will also highlight her current work on assessing the cost effectiveness and efficiency of broadband subsidy programs in the U.S.

Erezi Ogbo is a postdoctoral scholar and research associate at USC Annenberg, working in collaboration with Professor François Bar and Professor Hernan Galperin. Her research examines the digital divides, user acceptance of technology, and technology’s impact among marginalized populations. The primary focus of her work is investigating the socio-economic and socio-technological factors that impact mobile and Internet adoption, use, and effect of use. In 2014, Ogbo was recognized as a promising young scholar by the federal government of Nigeria and awarded the Presidential Special Scholarship for Innovation and Development. She earned her PhD in Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University and also holds degrees from the University of St Andrews, Scotland and Bells University of Technology, Nigeria.