There are glaring disparities in access to essential social services, such as information and communications technology (ICT) services, in the Central Sahel area, where more than 40% of the population is below the poverty line. Only 16 percent of people in Burkina Faso and 5 percent of people in Niger, respectively, utilize the Internet, according to 2019 data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The digital divide is made worse by a lack of energy, especially in rural regions where only 15% of people have access to it on average. By offering specialized ICT services that will allow people to connect, acquire life-saving information, and hone their digital skills, the Emergency Telecommunications Cluster (ETC), with the assistance of the Government of Luxembourg, is attempting to close the digital divide and solve the information and technological gaps that communities in the Sahel confront. These services include internet charging stations, phone booths, cybercafés, internet hotspots.
https://etcluster.org/emergency/sahel-protection-crisis