Mobile Telephony, Financial Inclusion and Inclusive Growth

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.

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

“…Second, the literature is consistent on the position that the potential for ICT penetration in SSA is high compared with other regions of the globe experiencing saturation levels (Penard, Poussing, Yebe, & Ella, ; Tchamyou, Erreygers, & Cassimon, ). This has led to a growing stream of literature on the relevance of mobile technologies in development outcomes (Abor, Amidu, & Issahaku, ; Afutu‐Kotey, Gough, & Owusu, ; Asongu, ; Asongu & Boateng, ; Hubani & Wiese, ; Muthinja & Chipeta, ; Tchamyou, ). Unfortunately, the extant literature has failed to assess if poor education quality can decrease the relevance of information technology on inclusive development.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Basic formal education quality, information technology, and inclusive human development in sub‐Saharan Africa

Sustainable Development

Odhiambo

2018

147

This study assesses the role played by basic formal education on the impact of information technology on inclusive human development in sub-Saharan African countries during the period 2000-2012. The study aims to answer one critical question: What is the relevance of basic formal education in the effect of mobile phone penetration on inclusive human development in sub-Saharan Africa when initial levels of inclusive human development are taken into account? The empirical evidence is based on instrumental quantile regressions. The findings of this study show that poor primary education dampens the positive effect of mobile phone penetration on inclusive human development. This finding should be understood from the perspective that the education quality indicator represents a policy syndrome because of the way it is computed, notably, the ratio of pupils to teachers. Hence, an increasing ratio indicates decreasing quality of education. It follows that decreasing quality of education dampens the positive effect of mobile phone on inclusive development. This tendency is consistent throughout the conditional distribution of inclusive sustainable human development. Policy implications are discussed.

“…Concerning the theoretical argument underpinning this study, the positioning of the inquiry is within the framework of theoretical exploration because the study is building on sound intuition in order to derive practical consequences that are relevant to policy makers. 1 There is a growing body of African development literature on the importance of information and communication technology for social change, in doing business and economic development (Kuada, 2009;2014;Tony & Kwan, 2015;Afutu-Kotey et al, 2017;Bongomin et al, 2018;Asongu & Boateng, 2018;Gosavi, 2018;Isszhaku et al, 2018;Hubani & Wiese, 2018;Muthinja & Chipeta, 2018;Minkoua Nzie et al, 2018;Abor et al, 2018). Hence, this study is in accordance with recent literature in arguing that applied econometrics should not be exclusively limited to the acceptance and rejection of established theories (Costantini & Lupi, 2005;Narayan et al, 2011). Therefore, an empirical exercise such as this, that is motivated by strong commonsense may provide the basis for theory-building in future works.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Technology, Education, Life and Non-life Insurance in Africa

International Journal of Public Administration

2019

This article examines the relevance of information and communication technology (ICT) in modulating the effect of education on life insurance and non-life insurance consumption in 48 African countries for the period 2004-2014. Education is measured with primary school, secondary school and tertiary school enrollments. ICT is measured with mobile phone, internet and broadband subscriptions. The empirical evidence is based on generalized method of moments. The following main findings are established. First, from the nexuses between education, ICT and life insurance, there are positive conditional effects from the interaction between: (i) broadband subscriptions and primary school enrollment; (ii) broadband subscriptions and secondary school enrollment and (iii) internet penetration and tertiary school enrollment. Second, from the nexuses between education, ICT and non-life insurance: (i) there is a negative net effect from the interactions between mobile phone penetration and primary education while positive net effects are apparent from the interactions between: mobile phone penetration and secondary school enrollment; secondary school enrollment and broadband subscriptions and; tertiary school enrollment and broadband subscriptions. JEL Classification: I28; I20; I30; O16; O55