ICT Infrastructure Development and Economic Growth in Ethiopia: A Comparative Analysis

ICT infrastructure development is crucial for economic growth in developing countries like Ethiopia. However, there is limited empirical research on how ICT investments impact economic performance. The study employs a regression analysis model to estimate the effect of ICT investments on GDP growth. The data for this analysis is sourced from the World Bank's Development Data Group. Regression results indicate that an increase in ICT infrastructure investment by 1% leads to a 0.75% increase in GDP per capita, with robust standard errors indicating significant confidence. The findings suggest that enhancing ICT infrastructure can significantly contribute to economic growth in Ethiopia. Government policies should prioritise investments in ICT infrastructure as part of broader development strategies. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.