Dividendes numériques ou dépendance ?

This research paper by Kitrhona Cerri and Maria Mexi examines the evolution of industrial policy in the digital age, using Kenya as a primary case study. The authors argue that without strengthened data governance, worker protections, and national value capture mechanisms, digitalization in low- and middle-income countries risks creating structural dependency and "industrial thinness" rather than inclusive development.

• Industrial policy has shifted from a focus on physical manufacturing and factories to the governance of digital infrastructures, where value is increasingly immaterial and driven by the control of data and algorithms.
• Kenya has integrated digital services into its state-led transformation through initiatives like the Digital Master Plan 2022-2032 and Vision 2030, resulting in approximately 1.9 million Kenyans in digital work by 2025, including 1.2 million platform freelancers.
• Despite digital growth, Kenya experiences "industrial thinness," where the country provides labor and data for global AI and digital economies but lacks ownership of the infrastructure, leading to a form of informational dependency similar to the "resource trap."
• Digital labor in Kenya, particularly content moderation at firms like Sama in Nairobi and gig economy work, is characterized by psychological trauma, algorithmic surveillance, unstable incomes, and a lack of social protection.
• National reforms alone are insufficient to address global digital asymmetries; coordinated regional and multilateral action is required, such as the African Continental Free Trade Area's digital protocol and OECD guidelines on data localization and fair taxation.
• A credible digital development path for low- and middle-income countries must move beyond providing inputs (labor and data) to establishing regulatory capacities that discipline platform monopolies and ensure the capture of national value.

APA

Cerri, K., & Mexi, M. (n.d.). Dividendes numériques ou dépendance ? International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/digital-dividends-or-dependency

Chicago

Cerri, Kitrhona, and Maria Mexi. Dividendes numériques ou dépendance ? International Institute for Sustainable Development, n.d. https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/digital-dividends-or-dependency.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Cerri |first1=Kitrhona |last2=Mexi |first2=Maria |title=Dividendes numériques ou dépendance ? |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |url=https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/digital-dividends-or-dependency |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cerrinddividendes, author = {Cerri, Kitrhona and Mexi, Maria}, title = {{Dividendes numériques ou dépendance ?}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/fr/articles/policy-analysis/digital-dividends-or-dependency}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }