SOCIALSCI JOURNAL

E-Commerce as A Vehicle Towards Sustainable National Development in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges

Abstract

Muqsitat Motunrayo Ojedokun

The emergenceofInformation and Communication Technology(ICT)has created a lot of opportunities for its end users,globally. However, despite the recognizedembedded benefits of e-commerce, itsutilizationforsustainablenational development in Nigeria is still largely low. On this basis, this paper discusses the prospect of e-commerce as a vehicle towards sustainable national development in Nigeria, and the challenges militatingagainst its adequate adoption. The Diffusion of InnovationTheorywas employed as conceptual framework. The paper argues that e-commerce can contribute in multiple ways to the actualizationof the Nigeria’s drive towards the attainment of sustainable national development through the improvement of the Nigerian banking sector, the promotion of indigenous entrepreneurship,increase in foreign exchange,and the development of small and medium scale businesses.However, despite its embedded advantages, digital divide, illiteracy, skepticism/distrust, fear of cybercrimeexposure and pooraccess to relevant information are among the major challenges militating against the successfuladoption of electronic commerce in Nigeria. The Nigerian Government should exert more efforts towards effective domestication of E-commerce because it is capable of contributingsignificantly to the successful actualizationof the nation’svision 2020 plan and the attainment of its sustainable development goals.