Dashboard
Select a region or a persona track to deep dive into stories, data and insights
Regions

Northern Nigeria
Digital use is largely mediated, restricted, and basic, with limited independent use shaped by strong social control.

Southern Nigeria
Digital use spans constrained access to highly intentional engagement, shaped by aspiration, livelihoods, and adaptation to disruptions.

Kenya
Digital use is widespread but uneven; mobile money is essential, with friction, risk, and occasional conflict shaping engagement.

Senegal
High smartphone access alongside low literacy, with use shaped by strong norms around propriety, visibility, and mediated engagement.
Personas

Independent Advanced
Navigates digital tools independently across contexts, including more complex and evolving systems.

Independent Intermediate
Uses digital tools independently for a defined set of tasks, within a limited and stable repertoire.

Guided Foundational
Engages with digital tools with real-time support, building basic capability through guided use.

Assisted Basic
Relies entirely on others to access and use digital tools, with little or no independent capability.

Stories

Fictionalised, research-grounded narratives that bring digital personas to life, illustrating how digital engagement is shaped by everyday contexts, constraints, dependencies, workarounds, and decisions. These help anticipate how people may experience digital services, where they may struggle or disengage, and what is needed to better support their participation.

Assisted Basic
Khadija
An older woman in urban Kano who rejects phone use to uphold household norms and values
Read Story
Location
Kano
Pathways Segment
U3.2
Age
40 Years
Education
No Education
Guided Foundational
Amina
A food seller using a basic phone to support her daily business and routine
Read Story
Location
Kaduna
Pathways Segment
U2
Age
30 Years
Education
Incomplete Higher
Independent Intermediate
Hafsa
A young mother engaging with digital spaces primarily through listening and observation
Read Story
Location
Kaduna
Pathways Segment
U1
Age
25 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Independent Advanced
Agatha
A peri-urban Kano poultry farmer using her phone to support her business and local networks.
Read Story
Location
Kano
Pathways Segment
U1
Age
33 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Assisted Basic
Rukayyat
A young mother, in the outskirts of Kano with no independent access to digital devices
Read Story
Location
Kano
Pathways Segment
R4.2
Age
19 Years
Education
No Education
Guided Foundational
Maryam
A homemaker in peri-urban Kano managing daily life within a shared household
Read Story
Location
Kano
Pathways Segment
R3.1
Age
36 Years
Education
Incomplete Higher
Independent Intermediate
Huawa
A home-based tailor in Kano stitching clothes for women in her neighbourhood
Read Story
Location
Kaduna
Pathways Segment
R2
Age
31 Years
Education
Incomplete Higher
Independent Advanced
Zainab
A health worker in rural Kano supporting immunisation efforts across her community
Read Story
Location
Kano
Pathways Segment
R2
Age
28 Years
Education
Complete Secondary

Assisted Basic
Ogechi
A laundry worker without a phone, relying on others to stay reachable for work
Read Story
Location
Lagos
Pathways Segment
U3
Age
35 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Guided Foundational
Hope
A street food vendor using a basic phone while saving toward a smartphone to grow her business
Read Story
Location
Lagos
Pathways Segment
U2.1
Age
30 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Guided Foundational
Aisha
A home-based tailor using a basic phone to stay reachable and support her work
Read Story
Location
Lagos
Pathways Segment
U3
Age
23 Years
Education
Incomplete Secondary
Independent Advanced
Grace
A mother using digital tools to understand and manage her child’s health
Read Story
Location
Lagos
Pathways Segment
U1
Age
22 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Independent Advanced
Patience
A juice seller using her phone to learn, improve, and grow her business
Read Story
Location
Lagos
Pathways Segment
U2.1
Age
28 Years
Education
Higher

Guided Foundational
Fatuma
A homemaker relying on family support to access and use a shared phone
Read Story
Location
Kwale
Pathways Segment
R4
Age
44 Years
Education
Incomplete Higher
Independent Intermediate
Beatrice
A hairdresser relying on her phone to stay reachable and share her work with clients
Read Story
Location
Nakuru
Pathways Segment
R1
Age
35 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Independent Intermediate
Agnes
Protecting her savings through digital tools to support her family
Read Story
Location
Kwale
Pathways Segment
R3.1
Age
28 Years
Education
Incomplete Secondary
Independent Advanced
Mary
A single mother using her smartphone to support her child’s learning and daily work
Read Story
Location
Kwale
Pathways Segment
R3.2
Age
24 Years
Education
Incomplete Secondary
Independent Advanced
Ruth
A field sales agent using digital platforms to attract customers and manage her work
Read Story
Location
Nakuru
Pathways Segment
R1
Age
28 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Guided Foundational
Zahara
An urban woman relying on others to manage mobile payments due to limited literacy
Read Story
Location
Nakuru
Pathways Segment
U4
Age
31 Years
Education
No Education
Independent Intermediate
Selina
A sales agent using a basic phone to stay reachable and sustain her work
Read Story
Location
Nairobi
Pathways Segment
U2.2
Age
27 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Independent Advanced
Mercy
A single mother relying on digital platforms to manage childcare independently
Read Story
Location
Nairobi
Pathways Segment
U2.2
Age
22 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Independent Intermediate
Leah
A pregnant woman managing her health and childcare through a guided WhatsApp support group
Read Story
Location
Nairobi
Pathways Segment
U2.1
Age
24 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Independent Advanced
Alice
A mother using digital tools to manage her personal health with trusted support
Read Story
Location
Nairobi
Pathways Segment
U1
Age
29 Years
Education
Higher

Guided Foundational
Aminata
A home-based hair braider using a basic phone to stay reachable and receive payments
Read Story
Location
Louga
Pathways Segment
U3.1
Age
35 Years
Education
No Education
Independent Intermediate
Mariama
A woman building her cooking skills through limited and irregular smartphone access
Read Story
Location
Diourbel
Pathways Segment
U2.2
Age
30 Years
Education
No Education
Independent Advanced
Aby
An mother using digital tools to navigate everyday health and wellbeing
Read Story
Location
Tambacounda
Pathways Segment
U2.1
Age
27 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Independent Advanced
Rokhaya
A homemaker running a small online resale business from home
Read Story
Location
Matam
Pathways Segment
U2.1
Age
29 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Assisted Basic
Binta
A rural Senegal farmer with no personal phone, relying on her husband for access
Read Story
Location
Tambacounda
Pathways Segment
R4
Age
30 Years
Education
No Education
Guided Foundational
Fatoumata
A rural Senegal woman managing household and farm work with limited digital use.
Read Story
Location
Tambacounda
Pathways Segment
R3.2
Age
35 Years
Education
No Education
Independent Intermediate
Aissatou
A woman in rural Diourbel navigating shared household life and cautious digital use
Read Story
Location
Diourbel
Pathways Segment
R3.1
Age
23 Years
Education
Complete Secondary
Independent Advanced
Ndeye
A young mother in rural Louga managing her household while pursuing her education through her phone
Read Story
Location
Louga
Pathways Segment
R2
Age
25 Years
Education
Incomplete Higher