When discussions turn to the digital revolution, the conversation is almost always dominated by technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become the new gospel of development. We celebrate artificial intelligence, broadband expansion, automation, big data, digital finance, blockchain, and smart cities. Across Africa, governments are racing to establish innovation hubs, digitise public services, expand broadband infrastructure, and embrace the promises of machine learning, automation, and data-driven governance. They proudly announce substantial investments in fibre-optic infrastructure and digital economies. Development agencies measure progress by internet penetration and digital connectivity. International development partners celebrate digital inclusion as the next frontier of economic transformation, while policymakers increasingly equate technological advancement with national progress.

In many respects, this enthusiasm is justified. The digital revolution has opened unprecedented opportunities for commerce, education, healthcare, agriculture, financial inclusion, and civic participation. Still, beneath this technological optimism lies a deeper question that developing countries can no longer afford to ignore: Can technology, by itself, drive development? This question formed the intellectual core of the lead paper I presented at the 2nd Interdisciplinary Conference of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, held under the theme: “Driving Human Society in a Digital Era: Opportunities for the Developing World.”

My argument departed from the conventional narrative. Human society is not driven by technology alone….