Mobile Phone Use, Transaction Costs, and Price: Evidence from Rural Vegetable Farmers in Cameroon

Odhiambo

2019

SSRN Journal

The research assesses how information and communication technology (ICT) modulates the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic growth dynamics in 25 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa for the period 1980-2014. The employed economic growth dynamics areGross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, real GDP and GDP per capita while ICT is measured by mobile phone penetration and internet penetration. The empirical evidence is based on the Generalised Method of Moments. The study finds that both internet penetration and mobile phone penetration overwhelmingly modulate FDI to induce overall positive net effects on all three economic growth dynamics. Moreover, the positive net effects are consistently more apparent in internet-centric regressions compared to "mobile phone"-oriented specifications. In the light of negative interactive effects, net effects are decomposed to provide thresholds at which ICT policy variables should be complemented with other policy initiatives in order to engender favorable outcomes on economic growth dynamics. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Section: Theoretical Model On Nexuses Between Fdi Ict and Economic Gmentioning

confidence: 77%

Foreign Direct Investment, Information Technology and Economic Growth Dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa

Odhiambo

2019

SSRN Journal

“…Third, a substantial bulk of the recent literature on the relevance of ICT in development outcomes has failed to engage female economic participation. Accordingly, the recent bulk of literature on the relationship between ICT and inclusive development has largely focused on, inter alia: gender empowerment (Ojo et al, 2012); health access by the population in the low income category (Kliner et al, 2013); the consolidation of financial inclusion (Kirui et al, 2013;Mishra and Bisht, 2013;Asongu and Nwachukwu, 2016a); reduction of the rural-urban development gap and mitigation of wastes in the agricultural sector by addressing mismatches/constraints in the demand for and supply of commodities (Muto and Yamano, 2009); household management efficiency (Al Surikhi, 2012); consolidation of opportunities for small and medium-size businesses (Ondiege, 2010); development purposes (Kuada, 2015a) and social change (Gosavi, 2017;Minkoua Nzie et al, 2017). Noticeably from the highlighted literature, scholarship on the nexus between ICT and the participation of women in the labour market has not received the attention it deserves.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female Economic Participation with Information and Communication Technology Advancement: Evidence from Sub‐Saharan Africa

Efobi¹,

Tanankem²,

South African J Economics

2018

182

200

This study complements existing literature by investigating how the advancement in information and communication technology affects the formal economic participation of women. The focus is on 48 African countries for the period 1990‐2014. The empirical evidence is based on ordinary least squares, fixed effects and the generalized method of moments regressions. The results show that improving communication technology increases female economic participation with the following consistent order of increasing magnitude: mobile phone penetration, internet penetration and fixed broadband subscriptions. The findings are robust to the control for heterogeneities across countries. Policy implications are discussed in the paper.

“…Second, in the light of the high potential for ICT penetration in Africa compared with other regions of the world where ICT penetration has reached saturation levels, there has been a growing strand of literature on the importance of information technology in improving macroeconomic and human developments (Abor, Amidu, & Issahaku, 2018;Tchamyou, 2017;MinkouaNzie, Bidogeza, & Ngum, 2018;Issahaku, Abu, & Nkegbe, 2018;Asongu & Nwachukwu, 2018;Gosavi, 2018). Unfortunately, to the best of our knowledge, empirical studies focusing on the nexus between ICT and inequality are sparse.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How enhancing information and communication technology has affected inequality in Africa for sustainable development: An empirical investigation

Sustainable Development

Odhiambo

2019

205

This study examines if enhancing information and communication technology reduces inequality in 48 countries in Africa for the periods 2004–2014. Three inequality indictors are used, namely, the Gini coefficient, Atkinson index, and Palma ratio. The adopted information and communication technology indicators include mobile phone penetration, internet penetration, and fixed broadband subscriptions. The empirical evidence is based on the generalised method of moments. Enhancing internet penetration and fixed broadband subscriptions has a net effect on reducing the Gini coefficient and the Atkinson index, whereas increasing mobile phone penetration and internet penetration reduces the Palma ratio. Policy implications are discussed in the light of challenges to Sustainable Development Goals.