Mobile Phones and Development in Africa: Does the Evidence Meet the Hype?

by Jenny C. Aker, Joël Cariolle

Overview

This book focuses on the impact of information technology on the lives and livelihoods of rural households in sub-Saharan Africa, where simple mobile phones have leapfrogged traditional communication and financial technologies, and thus, arguably, offer some of the greatest potential for development. Drawing on primary and secondary research from a variety of disciplines, the authors examine the evolution of mobile phone coverage and adoption in sub-Saharan Africa over the past two decades, before exploring the main channels through which mobile phones can affect development. They then review initiatives on “digitizing development” and evaluate empirical evidence on their impact. The book argues that digital has yet to live up to the hype, ending with a set of questions that stakeholders should ask (and answer) when using digital technology for promoting development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783031418846
Publisher:	Springer International Publishing
Publication date:	12/01/2023
Series:	Palgrave Studies in Agricultural Economics and Food Policy
Edition description:	1st ed. 2023
Pages:	174
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x (d)

About the Author

Jenny C. Aker is Professor of Development Economics at the Fletcher School and the Department of Economics at Tufts University, Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for Global Development, Senior Researcher at Wageningen University, and co-Chair on “Digital Trust” at the Fondation pour les Etudes et Recherches sur le Développement International (FERDI).

Joël Cariolle is Research Officer at the FERDI (France) and Associate Researcher at the CERDI – University Clermont-Auvergne. He conducts research on digitalization and development, and he contributes to the FERDI “Digital Trust” Chair.

Table of Contents

1. Where there is no phone.- 2. The Economics of the Phone.- 3. Digitizing Development.- 4. Living up to the Hype?.- 5. Rethinking ICT4D?.- 6. Conclusion.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This book from Professor Aker is a must read for any development policy maker or practitioner, especially if they are thinking about how and where digital technologies can add value and improve the livelihoods of the poor. In this book, Jenny masterfully takes you through the successes and failures of technologies in sub-Saharan Africa. Most important of all, given these experiences, she provides a framework to think about when and how digital is the solution."—Tavneet Suri, Louis E. Seley, Professor of Applied Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"This is a great book and Prof. Jenny Aker is clearly one of the leaders and early researchers studying the potential of mobile phones in advancing the economic lives of many of the poor, particularly in Africa. There are the possibilities of the mobile phone for searching for markets and economic opportunities, for banking and payments, for trading and much more. I strongly recommend this book to all researchers and students interested in this area."—Yaw Nyarko, Professor of Economics and Director of NYU Africa House, Center for Technology and Economic Development, New York University.

"This is a very important book about a technology that has transformed all of our lives along multiple dimensions—mobile phones. This book cuts through the hype and hyperbole, and it provides a meaningful and theory-informed treatment of how information technology is shaping economic development in low-income countries—as a communication device and a financial service device. The potential for change is massive, but ICT is not a panacea or silver bullet. This book clearly discusses why impacts-in-the-field tend to fall short of expectations. It is also beautifully written and a pleasure to read. It deserves a wide readership, among students and practitioners of development, academics and policy makers alike."—Erwin Bulte, Professor of Development Economics, Wageningen University.