Institutional Readiness and the Perceived Impact of Big Data Adoption in Digital Identity Systems: Empirical Evidence from a Developing Country

The adoption of Big Data technologies in digital identity management has been widely recognized as a critical enabler of digital government modernization. By enhancing data integration, interoperability, and analytical capacity, Big Data has the potential to improve public service delivery, strengthen administrative efficiency, and support evidence-based policymaking. However, in developing countries, the effective adoption of Big Data in digital identity systems remains constrained by significant institutional, technological, and governance-related challenges. In particular, a persistent gap exists between the high perceived importance of these technologies and the actual level of institutional readiness to implement them. This article empirically examines institutional readiness and perceived impact of Big Data adoption in digital identity systems, drawing on a case study from Equatorial Guinea. A mixed-methods research design is employed, combining quantitative survey data collected from multiple stakeholder groups — including public institutions, telecommunications companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, and citizens — with qualitative expert validation. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analyses are used to assess relationships between perceived importance, technological readiness, interoperability, and perceived impact. The findings reveal that while a majority of respondents (approximately 75 – 80% on average across institutional groups) recognize the strategic importance of Big Data as strategically important for digital identity systems, only around 40 – 45% consider their institutions adequately prepared for its effective implementation. Strong positive correlations are identified between institutional readiness and perceived impact, while the relationship between perceived importance and readiness remains moderate. These results highlight interoperability as a key mediating factor shaping Big Data outcomes. The study contributes to the digital government literature by providing robust empirical evidence from a rarely studied Central African context and by identifying critical institutional conditions for successful Big Data adoption in digital identity systems within developing countries.