The Effects of Mobile Phone Technology, Knowledge Creation and Diffusion on Inclusive Human Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This paper examines the joint effects of mobile phone technology, knowledge creation and diffusion on inclusive human development in 49 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. The empirical evidence is based on Tobit regressions for the period 2000-2012. The net effects of interactions between the mobile phone, knowledge creation and diffusion variables are positive indicating that the combined effects of these variables improve inclusive human development in SSA countries. Further analysis dividing the dataset into a number of fundamental characteristics based on economic, legal, religion and political stability associated with African economies show that mobile phone penetration and associated innovation in SSA improve inclusive human development irrespective of the country's level of income, legal origins, religious orientation and the state of the nation. The pupil-teacher ratio exerts a negative influence on the outcome variable which is favourable for inclusive human development because higher ratios denote lower education quality since more pupils are accommodated by fewer teachers. The study contributes to innovation diffusion theory and economic development literature.

Demand-side Mobile Money Drivers of Financial Inclusion: Minimum Economic Growth Thresholds for Mobile Money Innovations

“…Second, in spite of the substantially documented literature on the importance of mobile phones and mobile banking innovations in driving inclusive development (Asongu, 2013;Ondiege, 2010;Uduji & Okolo-Obasi, 2018aTchamyou, Erregers & Cassimon, 2019;Lashitew, van Tulder & Liasse, 2019;Asongu, Biekpe & Cassimon, 2020, 2021, most of the literature has focused on the role of innovation in driving economic growth (as discussed below), instead of the role of economic growth in modulating demand-side mobile money factors for mobile money innovations as in the present study. The contemporary strand of the studies that has focused on the incidence of innovation on economic growth has been articulated along the lines of, inter alia: knowledge-driven innovation for economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (Oluwatobi, Olurinola, Alege & Ogundipe, 2020;Asongu & Kuada, 2020); country-specific innovation in environmental policy for economic growth (Azimi, Feng & Zhou, 2020); innovation in small and medium sized enterprises as a source of economic growth (Gherghina, Botezatu, Hosszu & Simionescu, 2020); innovation in scientific research for economic performance (HamidiMotlagh, Babaee, Maleki & Isaai, 2020) and the relevance of innovation in driving the economic performance of family firms (Teixeira & Correia, 2020).…”

Tourism, ICT and Inclusive Development: Global Evidence

“…In this respect, argue that the positive relationship varies per income group and ICT specifications used. Also, poor primary education has been established to dampen the positive effect of ICT on inclusive human development , a view corroborated by the study of Asongu (2021). rather argue that though investments in infrastructures enhances inclusive human development, that is not the case with ICT infrastructure as ICT infrastructure rather harm inclusive human development due to its ability to increase income inequality.…”

“…In the first strand of debate, several authors examine the effect of ICT on economic development by approaching development through the human development index adjusted for inequality (Asongu and Nwachukwu, 2016Asongu and Odhiambo, 2019a;Adegboye, 2021;Asongu, 2021;. In this line of study, some of these authors argue that ICT enhances inclusive human development.…”

“…Despite the demonstrated importance of ICT and tourism for the economic development, and the rapid growth of these covariates in economies around the globe, economic development (Asongu and Boateng, 2018;Asongu andNwachukwu, 2017a, 2017b;Nchofoung et al, 2021;. This study therefore used the human development adjusted for environmental sustainable, which is in line with the definition of Gupta et al (2015) who defined inclusive development as development that involves all groups without compromising for the environmental needs of the future generations.…”

“…Secondly, this study approaches sustainable development through the sustainable development index which is human development adjusted for environmental quality. Past studies on inclusive development have approached the subject through human development adjusted for inequality (Asongu and Boateng, 2018;Asongu andNwachukwu, 2017a, 2017b;Nchofoung et al, 2021;.…”