Building Nations with Code: Open Source as a Strategic Tool for Technological Sovereignty in Developing Economies
Abstract
Open source software (OSS) has moved from the periphery of hobbyist culture to the center of national digital infrastructure. For developing economies, OSS is more than a cost alternative to proprietary licenses: it is a strategic instrument for technological sovereignty (control over critical code and data), economic efficiency (license cost avoidance and reusable components), innovation (lower barriers for startups and universities), and cultural participation (tools adapted to local language, law, and norms). This paper analyzes how OSS can help nations move from dependency to capability. Using a comparative qualitative design, we examine Estonia, India, Brazil, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, selected for their distinct political economies and visible OSS trajectories. We synthesize insights from commons-based production, digital-era governance, and ICT4D to develop an Open Source National Development Framework (OSNDF) that links procurement, institutions, talent formation, and ecosystem finance. We argue that OSS succeeds where states institutionalize openness (policy, law, OSPOs), reinvest license savings into human capital and security, and socialize open practices across education and culture. Where such conditions are absent, pilots proliferate but fail to scale. Estonia demonstrates how small states can hard-wire sovereignty into architecture; India shows that open API “rails” can operate at population scale; Brazil illustrates how ethics and education can legitimize openness; Kenya highlights civic innovation through open data; Nigeria shows high-velocity private adoption amid slower public uptake; and South Africa demonstrates how cultural identity can travel globally through Ubuntu. We conclude that OSS is not a panacea; it is a governance choice. When treated as public digital infrastructure, coupled with clear funding and accountability, OSS becomes a durable lever of development rather than a passing fad. [1–12]
Citations
IRE Journals:
Olatunbosun Alake
"Building Nations with Code: Open Source as a Strategic Tool for Technological Sovereignty in Developing Economies" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 9 Issue 4 2025 Page 648-657
IEEE:
Olatunbosun Alake
"Building Nations with Code: Open Source as a Strategic Tool for Technological Sovereignty in Developing Economies" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 9(4)
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