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Artificial Intelligence, Digital Inclusion, and Cybersecurity Behavior in Resource-Constrained Communities in North-East Nigeria

Okpalaifeako Lydia Chikaodiri, Salisu Mohammed Kwadam

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital technologies has created new opportunities for social and economic development; however, many resource-constrained communities in developing regions continue to experience challenges associated with limited digital access, inadequate digital literacy, affordability constraints, and increasing cybersecurity risks. This study proposes an Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Secure Digital Inclusion Framework for improving digital inclusion and cybersecurity behaviour in resource-constrained communities in North-East Nigeria, using Taraba State as a case study. The study adopted a mixed-methods research design integrated with the Design Science Research Methodology to develop and validate the proposed framework. Data were collected from 2,500 respondents across five urban centres: Jalingo, Wukari, Bali, Takum, and Gembu. The proposed AISDIF framework integrates Artificial Intelligence, digital literacy support, cybersecurity awareness, behavioural analytics, and intelligent recommendation mechanisms within a modular software architecture. The framework was modelled using UML use case diagrams, system architecture design, workflow modelling, and prototype interface development. Statistical analysis using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and expert evaluation demonstrated significant relationships between AI adoption, digital inclusion, cybersecurity behaviour, and framework effectiveness. Performance evaluation of the AI-enabled components achieved high predictive accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and ROC-AUC values, indicating the framework’s capability to provide personalized digital support and proactive cybersecurity assistance. The study contributes a context-aware software engineering solution for sustainable digital transformation by addressing the interconnected challenges of technology access, user capability development, and online safety. The proposed framework provides a scalable model that can support secure digital participation in Taraba State and similar resource-constrained communities. IJCSMT

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence; Digital Inclusion; Cybersecurity Behaviour; Secure Digital Transformation; Resource-Constrained Communities.

References

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