According to statistics the use of the internet has evolved rapidly in Africa. The continent had around 570 million internet users in 2022, a number that more than doubled compared to 2015. Nigeria, the most populous African country, concentrates the largest number of users. These amounted to over 100 million in 2022, followed by 76 million in Egypt and 41 million in South Africa. In recent years, improved telecommunication infrastructure and the rising mobile device adoption have boosted internet access in Africa. In turn, the growing internet accessibility has promoted digital activities and services, such as social media, online shopping, and mobile payments. Nevertheless, the continent has not yet achieved its full digital potential. Despite the rising number of users, the internet penetration rate stood at around 43 percent in 2021, below a global average of 66 percent. This session will discuss: 

• What is the current state of access to the internet in Africa? 
• How does it compare to other regions of the world? 
• What are the barriers contributing to low access of the internet in Africa? 
• Can access to the internet in Africa be designated a fundamental Human right with Constitutional guarantee? 
• Will the designation of access to the internet as a constitutionally guaranteed right solve the problem of low access? 
• How can this be redressed? 
• What are the implications if any and the way forward for improving access? 

This AF session seeks to interrogate whether access to the internet should be designated a fundamental human right and whether access to the use of the internet should be constitutionally guaranteed.