In the 21st century, access to the internet and digital tools is as critical as access to clean water, education, or electricity, according to IT professional Mohammed Nafeez.
However, he said in Fiji, a nation striving towards modernisation and inclusivity, the digital divide between urban and rural areas remained a silent crisis.
“The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital adoption across many parts of the world, but in Fiji, it also exposed the inequalities in who gets to connect and who gets left behind,” Mr Nafeez told this newspaper in an interview yesterday.
“According to the Fiji Bureau of Statistics (2023), only 39 per cent of households in rural areas have access to reliable internet, compared with 84 per cent in urban centres.
“This isn’t just about watching YouTube or using Facebook, it’s about who can access education, jobs, banking, healthcare, and even basic government services.
“When students in Suva can join online classes within seconds, while children in Bua or Kadavu climb hills just to find a signal, we’re not talking about a gap, we’re talking about a barrier to opportunity.”
Mr Nafeez clarified that the United Nations has not formally declared internet access a basic human right.
“However, in 2016, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution affirming that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online.
“This underscores how the internet plays a crucial role in enabling human rights, particularly freedom of expression, access to information, and participation in democratic life.
“In other words, digital exclusion is a human rights concern.”
In Fiji, it directly translates into:
• Students falling behind because of lack of access to online learning
• Women and youth missing remote job opportunities
• Farmers unable to receive market prices of cyclone alerts
• Entire villages disconnected from digital government services.
Mr Nafeez said in Fiji, the cost of connectivity and devices remained prohibitively high for many.
“For many rural families, buying data means sacrificing meals or school supplies.
“Even in areas where access exists, digital literacy is dangerously low.”