ICT Service Export Performance, AI Knowledge, and Big Data Knowledge Signals in Africa, 2015 to 2024
Description
This dataset supports the study titled “Predicting ICT Service Export Performance in Africa Using Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Knowledge Signals.” It provides a country-year panel for 48 African economies from 2015 to 2024. The dataset was developed to examine how artificial intelligence knowledge output, big data knowledge output, digital infrastructure, connectivity, macroeconomic capacity, trade openness, human capital, and research investment predict ICT service export performance. The main outcome variable is ICT Service Export Performance, measured as the share of service exports earned from ICT services. The knowledge variables include Artificial Intelligence Knowledge Output, Big Data Knowledge Output, and AI and Big Data Knowledge Output. These indicators were derived from OpenAlex scholarly metadata and represent country-year research output linked to artificial intelligence, big data, analytics, and related knowledge areas. The dataset also includes World Bank country-year indicators on internet penetration, mobile connectivity, fixed broadband reach, electricity access, GDP per capita, GDP growth, trade openness, inflation, tertiary enrolment, and research and development expenditure. A computed Digital Infrastructure Readiness variable is included to capture the combined role of internet use, mobile connectivity, fixed broadband access, and electricity access in supporting digital economic activity. The dataset was prepared for supervised machine learning analysis. Numeric missing values were treated using median imputation to preserve a balanced modelling structure. Variables with no recoverable values across the full sample were excluded. The cleaned dataset supports regression modelling, feature importance analysis, digital readiness profiling, and comparative analysis of African economies. This dataset is useful for research on digital transformation, ICT service exports, artificial intelligence, big data, digital infrastructure, development economics, international business, innovation systems, and machine learning applications in economic research. It also supports policy analysis on how African economies translate digital knowledge, connectivity, electricity access, income capacity, and human capital into participation in global ICT service markets. The dataset uses secondary country-level data and does not contain personal, confidential, or human participant information. It is suitable for replication, model testing, comparative digital economy research, and future studies on technology-driven export performance in Africa.
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Institutions
- University of Cape CoastCentral, Cape Coast