A Framework for Equitable Educational Technology Adoption to Improve Literacy in Low-income Urban Communities: Insights from Mushin, Nigeria

Abstract

Purpose: Nigeria’s literacy crisis is acute in low-income urban districts such as Mushin, Lagos. This article designs a context-sensitive framework for equitable educational-technology (edtech) adoption that can raise literacy and educational access in such settings. Design/Methodology/Approach: Using a systematic qualitative synthesis of peer-reviewed scholarship, policy documents, and programme reports (2018–2025), we integrate Diffusion of Innovations, the Technology Acceptance Model, Constructivist Learning Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and a capability-justice lens. Thematic coding, supported by semantic clustering, linked sociotechnical determinants to implementation levers. Findings: Adoption is constrained by device scarcity, unreliable power, high data costs, and limited teacher digital pedagogy. Evidence supports offline-first platforms, shared low-cost devices, local-language content, practice-embedded teacher development, community stewardship, and transparent procurement. Framework: We propose a five-pillar framework—(1) Infrastructure and Access, (2) Teacher Capability and Pedagogy, (3) Contextualised Content, (4) Community Engagement and Trust, and (5) Governance, Procurement, and Data—that translates theory into actionable levers for Mushin-like contexts. Originality/Value: The article extends diffusion and acceptance models with a capability-centred, justice-oriented approach, redefining “effective adoption” as expanded opportunities to read, reason, and participate in knowledge creation. Practical Implications: The framework specifies staged pilots, cost transparency, and rights-compatible data practices aligned with Nigeria’s Data Protection Act and UNESCO’s guidance on generative AI in education, and it is consistent with meaningful connectivity benchmarks.